027 550 0611Targeting pests on farm land with local farmers and the Regional Council
Pest control on DOC land is only part of the issue. A considerable length of the boundary is onto private land. To be able to have a high quality barrier here would make a significant difference.
In order to achieve this we have worked with the Northland Regional Council to create a Community Pest control Area.
This will provide
- A significant area where pests are controlled reducing the level of re-infestation in the Department of Conservation land
- Extend the area where protected species can breed and forage without predation
- Additional resources for the boundary line.
- Increased overall community participation in the project
- Provision to train future volunteers in pest control
Advantages for farmers
- Significant reduction of pests such as possums, cats and mustelids
- Prevention of the re-introduction of pest from the from the main source the Tangihua Ranges
- The opportunity to join in and use the Celium Net work ( see below)
- The opportunity to gain a Controlled substances licence
- Part of a major conservation program enhancing their and the surrounding land.
Community Pest control Area.(CPCA)
Community Pest Control Areas Definition
One of the Northland regional Council’s aims with these strategies is to encourage the community to become involved with integrated pest management.
Community Pest Control Areas can be established in areas that have been identified by the community as worth protecting. A list of pests for control is drawn up and a plan is developed for how these can be controlled. Each proposal for establishing a Control Area must be put to the Council, along with staff recommendations. If the Council resolves to establish a Control Area, the pests defined in the proposal become total control pests, requiring the landholder to follow a programme of control following the initial knockdown.
Preparing a management plan
When proposing a Community Pest Control Area, a management plan will need to be prepared by the Tangihua Lions lodge Trust , in consultation with landowners in the area and Council staff. Objectives will need to be clearly set out with the level of control to be achieved for each pest as well as the proposed costs to landowners and the level of Council support required.
The plan will also need to include the:
- Methods for monitoring the level of pests;
- Effectiveness of the control;
- Maintenance levels to be achieved; and
- Effect on the values being protected.
What are the obligations of landowners and groups?
Maintenance will be the responsibility of individual landowners who will be assisted or co-ordinated by The Tangihua Lions lodge Trust. Landowners and trust within the Control Area will be required to undertake maintenance work or ensure pests are at levels that are contained in the management plan.
The Northland Regional Council will audit the standard of pest control within the area to ensure the required standards are being achieved.
Tangihua Community Pest Control Area
Tangihua Community Pest control Area (TCPCA)
This project will control possums over the majority of the TCPCA area to low levels using a variety of control tactics. A network of mustelid and feral cat traps will be established throughout the project area and in selected areas possum trapping may be carried out.
The Northland Regional Council (NRC) will supply all materials and equipment in year one, two and three, and 50% of the cost of materials needed in year four and five as per resource requirements listed in this agreement. The Tangihua Lions lodge trust in conjunction with the farmers will make up the rest of the cost
The landowners are responsible for all manual control work maintaining pests to the agreed level as set out in the TCPCA management plan.
Any pest control materials required above the amount defined in this animal pest management plan will be provided by the signatories of the TCPCA.
All traps and bait stations once established shall be GPS recorded and all data supplied to the NRC.
Activity as of 12/4/2017
The Northland Regional Council has provided funding $40,000 for year one and will cover 1100ha
The below table is the anticipated spend ,it will change as we extend the area. The cost to the farmers in year 1,2 and 3 is the time spent working with the Regional council setting up.
| Year | NRC Contribution | Tangihua Trust Funding | Landowner Contribution | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 | $40,850 | $5,700 | $5,800 | $52,350 |
| 2017-2018 | $12,655 | $6,400 | $2,800 | $21,855 |
| 2018-2019 | $12,655 | $6,400 | $2,800 | $21,855 |
| 2019-2020 | $3,300 | $6,400 | $8,960 | $18,660 |
| 2020-2021 | $3,300 | $6,400 | $8,960 | $18,660 |
| Total | $72,760 | $31,300 | $29,320 | $133,380 |
Duane from DOClivestock and Curtis form the Northland Regional Council finalising details at Gerald Mannions place
Start date
We start in April mid April with the aim of the first poison run occurring in May.
As per community involvement Duane will be using local Tauraroa Area school boys over the holidays to cart bait stations around the hills.
Not only will this keep them fit and out of trouble but will help earn equipment for their shooting team.
This will fit in very well with the first poison on DOC land in September. We will use the bait stations on the boundary put in place by the Northland Regional council.
Once we have this area set up and running smoothly which will not take long we will be interested in seeing who else would like to join us. It can be any one bordering the Tangihua Ranges or the existing pest control Area
Additional advantages of the TCPCA
Controlled substances licence
We have had two place allocated to us this year and had them filled. Brad Boniface will be setting up and doing the program on his Dads place
We will need other so if there is any on interested please let me know
Wireless celluim net work
We will not only be providing pest control but the monitoring system we have can be utilized by farmers for a wide range of practical uses including security, checking gates, taps etc
What is it
Celium consists of an array of communication devices, called ‘nodes’, which are equipped with sensors. The sensors are designed to monitor parameters (for example the status of a trap) which the nodes then communicate to a base station, or ‘hub’. The Celium hubs then transmit the resulting data via satellite to secure cloud servers. After processing, the data is delivered to users through a variety of channels. These include the Encounter Solutions web portal, email and mobile applications running on smart devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Celium is ideal for connecting and remotely monitoring and controlling numerous devices in rural and remote landscapes. The applications are myriad and include such things as pest animal traps, wildlife monitoring, climate/agriculture instrumentation, metering, security systems and infrastructure monitoring.
Celium brings the ‘Internet of Things’ to rural and remote landscapes, thereby enabling governments, landowners, rural businesses and communities to optimise the way they manage natural resources.
