Neighbours Day Aotearoa Launch
Dates for Neighbours Day have been set! 25 & 26 March 2017 is the weekend we're all working towards. Leading up to that weekend we'll be letting you know about some of the awesome events and activities happening near you, sharing stories, giving you a little inspiration around how to get your neighbourhood revving to go for Neighbours Day, and for those of us who are a little shy, some helpful tips on how to get started.
Earlier this year we put it to the Neighbours Day community to vote on the best way to launch Neighbours Day 2017. The winning idea was is 'Make it a New Years Resolution', and so that is what we're rolling with. Make getting involved in Neighbours Day your New Year's Resolution.
If you or anyone else signs up for Neighbours Day 2017 between today and the 31st of January you go in a draw to win a $100 grocery voucher. We'll be making 3 draws, one in December, one in January and one in February.
We know there are some of you who are real champions of Neighbours Day Aotearoa, so for those that get the most people joining up we have a little incentive for you too. We've added a section in the join up page where people can mention how they heard about Neighbours Day. This is where all those awesome people you get to join up can pop your name. If you, or your organisation, come out on tops and have the most new members joining up then you will win a $100 grocery voucher as well!!! Whaaattt!! Now that will come in handy either for your awesome Neighbours Day event, or your friendly neighbourly bbq, or will pay for the TimTam's you bring when you have a cup of tea with your neighbours.
So make sure you share the love and spread the word.
For more info visit the links or email kiaora@neighboursday.org.nz
Poll: Is dumping an issue in your neighbourhood?
There's nothing worse than strolling around the streets in your neighbourhood and seeing dumped rubbish.
Have you noticed this in your area? What could we do to combat this around the country?
-
43.1% Yes, I've seen some illegal dumping
-
56.3% No, our neighbourhood is pretty good
-
0.7% Other - I'll share below
Neighbourly challenge: Who can solve the daily riddle?
I have a crown but am not a king.
I'm prickly on the outside but sweet within.
What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Successful pest control effort to seek charity status
By local democracy reporting:
West Coast Regional councillors have agreed in principle to hand over the management of its successful Predator Free Te Kinga project to a charitable trust.
Over the past four years the council has led the pest control mission over 17,000 hectares of public and private land around the mountain, funded by a $4.4m Provincial Growth Fund grant in 2020.
The project has had strong buy-in from local farmers.
And the council’s Resource Management committee heard on Tuesday that the project involving Lake Brunner landowners, DOC and local schools is nearing its goal of eliminating possums from Mount Te Kinga.
The last one should be gone by early next year, the council’s environmental science manager Shanti Morgan told the meeting.
The network of self-setting traps, bait stations and cameras managed by the council company Vector Control Services had proved highly effective and native species were returning including kaka, fernbirds, New Zealand falcon.
A bittern and a lone female great spotted kiwi had also been sighted, Morgan said.
But plenty of other pests remained in the area including rats, stoats, feral cats and deer.
A 1080 aerial drop planned for the mountain soon should bring a high rate of kill, she said.
But Predator Free 2050 had confirmed it had no funding for the future maintenance of the Te Kinga project, and the remaining $1.6 million PGF money had to be spent by July next year.
“We need to expand the funding options, and be part of a charitable entity,” Morgan said.
As a non-council enterprise, the Te Kinga project would be eligible for funding from charities and philanthropic sources, and could still contract the council’s business arm, Vector Control Servies to manage the pest control.
Councillor Peter Ewen said he was sceptical that the Predator Free 2050 goal could be achieved and asked if the lone kiwi on Te Kinga should be moved before the 1080 drop.
Morgan referred the councillor to the 1080 investigation by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright in 2011 which had found the biodiversity benefits of 1080 far outweighed any risks.
“I am confident we can make Te Kinga predator free by 2050,” Ms Morgan said.
The two iwi reps on the committee weighed in with differing perspectives.
Makaawhio representative Jackie Douglas said the iwi was not keen on 1080 but cooperated reluctantly with its use.
Te Waewae chairperson Francois Tumahai said his iwi fully supported the use of 1080 and the setting up of a trust to continue the Te Kinga project after 2025.
The committee voted to approve in principle the setting up of the charitable entity.
*LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Loading…
