The Sun
Wednesday February 15, 2017
3
inbrief
The Sun
Lake cricket approval A community cricket match on the dry bed of Lake Elterwater on Marlborough’s East Coast is not affected by an abatement notice asking a local farmer to stop using the lake bed to graze cattle and to cultivate. Marlborough District Council compliance manager Gina Ferguson says there’s nothing to stop the cricket match going ahead. It was only activity that has an effect on the subsurface of the lake bed, such as grazing cattle or planting crops, that is not permitted by the abatement notice, she says.
Renwick water saving A public meeting on water savings and water meters is to be held next Tuesday at 7.30pm at the Woodbourne Tavern. The council says other places have saved 25 per cent after water meters were put in, and it wants to talk to Renwick residents about options and get feedback from residents.
Gerald Harper and Rachel Russell with the wasp traps and poison that will be used to get rid of wasps in Picton and Waikawa.
Pest push-back on the rise By Cathie Bell Picton is becoming a hub in Marlborough for conservation efforts. This week, the Kaipupu Point Mainland Island Society is starting a Picton and Waikawa-wide wasp control programme. Next week, the Picton Dawn Chorus is launching its urban trapping programme with a public meeting on Monday at 7pm at the Endeavour Park Pavilion, with Wellington-based predator-free advocate Kelvin Hastie speaking. Kaipupu Point project coordinator Rachel Russell says the society holds permits to use wasp-specific poison Vespex on Kaipupu Wildlife Sanctuary and have an application being
processed at DOC to use it on the Wedge as well. “But we are also looking at doing this across Picton and Waikawa.” Wasp trap organiser Gerald Harper says the society is looking for people to have wasp traps in their backyards, and also for volunteers to help lay traps in public and council land around the towns. Wasps are in heavy numbers at Kaipupu Point and have become a health hazard, he says. “The bigger an area we can do, the more benefits.” Rachel says the trapping will begin when the wasps start eating protein, probably late this month. The group is lucky to have all the
funding it needs for the wasp eradication project, she says, having donations from a local trust and support from Marlborough District Council, Port Marlborough and the Department of Conservation as well as Te Atiawa.Picton Dawn Chorus project co-ordinator Siobain Browning says the group is targeting rats, stoats, and possums in its trapping programme, being launched at a public meeting on Monday. Heavily discounted Goodnature self-resetting traps will be on sale at the meeting, sponsored by Kiwibank. “The main thing is to get people thinking about trapping in their gardens, but more volunteers would be a bonus.”
Long time resident The lady thought to be Marlborough’s oldest resident, Betty Fleming, has sadly passed away aged 107.
Public reaction to the project is ‘really good’, she says, and she hopes there will be a good attendance at the meeting. Guest speaker Kelvin Hastie is a leader in the predator-free area movement, and is a catalyst for the Picton group’s being set up. The Picton Dawn Chorus group was set up just before the Government announced the Predator-Free New Zealand by 2050 goal, so the time is good, Siobain says. • To set up wasp traps or volunteer, contact Rachel Russell at the Kaipupu Point Mainland Island Society shop in Mariner’s Mall, Picton. • Picton Dawn Chorus public meeting, 7pm Monday February 20, Endeavor Park Pavilion.
Pet bylaw review Keeping more than a dozen poultry birds and four cats on a residential property will need permission under changes proposed in an update of Council’s bylaws. Bylaws are there to enable Council to deal with complaints about nuisance issues and matters of public safety, says Council solicitor Kaye McIlveney. The new rules will also ban roosters and will apply to caged birds such as budgies or canaries. Permission will also be required to keep any other farm animals in town, including bees. New bylaws would also enable the Council to act where a property or a motor vehicle is a public health risk, enabling steps to be taken where, for example, vermin are a problem or temporary toilets are creating odour.
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