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Kia ora and welcome to our April issue!
In this issue: we celebrate a group of volunteers working to save the bird on $100 notes, we’re on the lookout for giant hogweed, and now’s the time to have your say on our draft Long-Term Plan.
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Who do we love?
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Mōhua are as rare in the wild as the $100 notes they grace.
Photo: Jordyn Ashcroft
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This month, we’re celebrating the marvellous mahi of Makarora’s mōhua minders.
The mōhua is a small, insect-eating bird that lives only in the forests of the South Island and Stewart Island.
Once abundant, there are now 5,000–20,000 left due to habitat loss and predation — this taoka species is particularly susceptible to stoats and rats. Its conservation status is ‘At risk – Declining’.
The tiny population of mōhua at Makarora wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for a dedicated group of volunteers. The Central Otago Lakes branch of Forest and Bird’s trapping team has been fighting to keep them in this part of Mt Aspiring / Tititea National Park for 25 years now, and they’re winning, just.
Established with input from Department of Conservation in 1998, the programme has expanded to over 1,300 traps and a rostered workforce of more than 50 volunteers supported by three dedicated staff and the backing of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary.
A staunch bunch, volunteers undertake river crossing training to be able to safely access trapping areas and make major contributions of time and fuel.
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Double Monster rat traps, Muddy Creek trap grid, Makarora
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In 2017, the Makarora trapping project received an ORC ECO Fund grant for 120 traps and further ECO Fund grants in 2019 and 2022 went into cat trapping projects in the Makarora and Matukituki valleys.
In 2023, they received another ECO Fund grant for 300 ‘Monster’ rat traps. These replaced ancient and failing traps, and boosted trap numbers in particularly ratty places. This grant was timely, as late in 2023 there was a rat plague.
Since deploying Monster traps, there has been a significant increase in the number of rats caught.
Mōhua populations in the area appear to have survived and, overall, this long-running programme seems to be making a difference — we still have mōhua. However, without the intervention of DOC Tiakina Ngā Manu operations, the population would be decimated.
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Volunteers checking traps and removing a stoat.
Photos: Mo Turnbull
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Have your say on ORC’s Long-Term Plan
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Future opportunities and challenges are front of mind for Otago Regional Council as we plan for the years ahead.
It’s a balancing act, meeting the needs of current and future generations and building a stronger future for the region while working to keep costs affordable.
This careful balance is laid out in the council’s draft Long-Term Plan, which sets the direction for the next 10 years and identifies focus areas — strong and resilient communities, partnering with mana whenua, protecting the environment, addressing climate change and providing public transport. Your feedback will help shape decisions and outcomes.
Councillors are proposing a significant focus on large-scale environmental project funding, public transport, and some changes to how rates are calculated. There’s also a new infrastructure strategy for ORC’s flood protection and drainage schemes, which outlines how these key assets will be maintained over the next 30 years.
ORC wants to know what’s important to you. Read about the proposed changes on our website and then tell us what you think about what’s proposed. What levels of service do communities need or want? Which options are affordable? What do YOU prefer? Now is the time to say what you think the future should hold for Otago.
Want to talk to our councillors about the plan? You can find a schedule of drop-in events and online sessions on our website, too.
Feedback closes 11.59pm on 28 April.
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Giant hogweed harmless? Hogwash!
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Do you have giant hogweed in your backyard? It is a hazard you should look out for as it is poisonous to humans, and exposure to dust or sap can cause skin irritation, blistering, and swelling. If you get the sap in your eyes, it can cause temporary or permanent blindness.
What does giant hogweed look like?
Giant hogweed can grow up to 6 metres tall and has serrated leaves up to 50–100 cm long. When the plant is around two years old, it produces large, umbrella-like clusters of greenish-white flowers.
Where is it?
Giant hogweed typically grows in rich, moist soils in areas such as river and stream banks, gullies, ditches, and drainage channels.
It has been sighted in coastal Otago from Ōamaru to The Catlins and in the Central Otago lakes area — see the map below.
Giant hogweed can grow in other areas, too, so if you think you have found it on your property, follow the guidelines below to safely remove the plant.
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How can you safely remove it?
TAKE GREAT CARE.
Wear protective gear to cover your arms, hands and eyes. If you get the dust or sap on your skin, wash the area immediately.
Removal options include:
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Pulling the whole plant out before it seeds in spring/summer.
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Cutting stems below ground level in summer and spraying any re-growth with glyphosate as required.
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Spraying the whole plant with glyphosate in spring, and again in summer if required.
Be aware, seeds can remain dormant for up to five years. To effectively control this pest, continue to monitor the site and consider planting other species, as these can prevent giant hogweed growing back again.
Visit our Otago Native Planting Guide for planting advice, or for more info on giant hogweed, visit our PestHub.
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Enviroschools news
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Abi Hawkins from Central Otago District Council talking to students about waste minimisation and the circular economy at the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes District secondary hui.
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Taylor from Orokonui Ecosanctuary speaking about the connection between our native species and how we treat our environment at the Ōtepoti hui.
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The beginning of 2024 has been an extremely busy time for the Enviroschools Programme in Ōtākou, with secondary school hui being held in Cromwell, Ōtepoti and Waitaki.
These hui are a great chance for secondary school students and key teachers to kōrero, learn and inspire each other. They are also used as planning sessions for the students so they can look at what their school community would like to focus on for the coming year.
The plans the students come up with are absolutely amazing and range from clothing swap events to stream clean-up projects, rippling out to wider topics such as climate change action, biodiversity and how to work with their wider community to inspire and effect lasting change in their environment.
A lot of work goes into these hui, and we thank all the volunteers and inspirational speakers from different community organisations and district councils, and, of course, ORC staff for being involved. Ka pai to all!
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ORC ABC
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T is for … torrentfish.
A freshwater fish endemic to New Zealand whose closest relative is blue cod, torrentfish like to live in fast rapids.
Fun fact: females and males live segregated — the females really far inland and males on the coast, meaning these fish need to travel quite far to get together for *ahem* beach parties.
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Torrentfish.
Photo: Nicola Baines
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Out and about
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Attendees and ORC staff had some good chats about the Lower Taieri flood protection scheme
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We had around 90 people overall at the Outram and Mosgiel drop-in sessions last month, with a lot of great questions and feedback about the flood protection scheme.
Our engineering and natural hazards teams used this opportunity to explain ORC's works and maintenance programme, and the nature of the Lower Taieri scheme and the flood hazard.
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A&P show in Wānaka
Great chats were had about rates, pests, water quality, natural hazards, and our environmental monitoring, and our special guest scat dog, Toby, enjoyed his tummy rubs! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our tent.
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Where’s wallaby? Its behind you! Toby and Amy at the show.
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Councillor Andrew Noone chats to a visitor to our tent
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Wilding pines, wallabies and rabbits were hot topics for the public and biosecurity staff.
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ORC staff enjoyed chatting with the wide range of visitors to the ORC tent.
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How quiet are our new electric buses?
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Blind Citizens Otago Network members and their canine companions check out the new e-buses
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While they are much quieter than diesel buses, the e-buses aren’t completely silent. They do have a noise that people can learn to identify (just not from as far away as the noisier diesel buses).
We teamed up with the Blind Citizens Otago Network and their canine companions to help them get acquainted with an e-bus. It was a great way for the group to learn more about the new vehicles and the sounds they make. It was so helpful to learn what the e-bus experience is like from their perspective.
Big thanks to the Blind Citizens Otago Network for their time — your input is steering us in the right direction in making sure the e-buses are accessible.
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Not as boring as you might think
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Never a dull moment … boring in action
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ORC has a network of bore holes all over the region — each between 10 and 30 metres deep — that allows us to monitor groundwater.
The more active bores we have, the more accurate a picture we have of water levels, water take and quality.
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Modelling nature-based solutions
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As a regional council, we are always looking for new and better ways to protect people, livelihoods and infrastructure. Our work with our partners in the Toitū Te Hakapupu restoration project has built relationships and developed a knowledge base which make it ideal for a pilot study modelling the use of nature-based solutions in the catchment.
This new study, Wai i te reporepo, wai i te wao: what nature tells us about how to understand and prepare for flooding, will look at how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) could lessen the effects of flooding.
The two-year study is fully funded by the Ministry for the Environment’s (MfE) Essential Freshwater Fund and will explore the potential of Nature-based Solutions such as restoring wetlands and planting natives to help manage flooding, clean our water and support biodiversity in the region.
Engineering, water, planning and climate change experts will also be involved, combining local knowledge with international best practice to come up with ideas that could benefit the whole region.
Nature-based solutions ... what are they?
Used globally, they are actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems.
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Restoring wetlands: absorbing floodwaters, filtering water, and supporting native wetland birds.
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Planting native trees: reducing erosion, sequestering carbon dioxide, and providing habitat for native birds and insects.
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Creating riparian buffers: stabilising riverbanks, reducing erosion, and improving water quality.
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Using green infrastructure: rain gardens, green roofs, and bioswales help manage stormwater and improve urban environments.
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Adopting regenerative agriculture: practices like reduced tillage and cover cropping improve soil health, reduce erosion, and enhance biodiversity.
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Find out about upcoming community events and Council meetings here.
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Feel free to forward this email to anyone who might like to read it. If you have any story ideas or want to know anything specific about anything in this issue, let us know by emailing lisa.scott@orc.govt.nz.
If you have been forwarded this email, you can sign up here.
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