Environment

Kāpiti Coast District Council has taken steps to control the population of Canada geese currently in the Kāpiti area. Canada geese have been a growing issue at some Kāpiti locations including Awatea Lakes and Otaraua Park. Their droppings can carry diseases such as avian influenza, campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and salmonella, and large populations can foul waterways. Kāpiti District Mayor K Gurunathan says Council has heard the call…

In an unprecedented move, a public meeting in Waikanae on Sunday called for the resignation of the Kāpiti Council’s chief executive Wayne Maxwell. The meeting, attended by over sixty locals, was called to discuss the recent Council decision to close the Waikanae Recycling Centre on August 1. Apart from strong opposition to the decision itself (passed on the casting vote of the Mayor) there were strong arguments…

Tamariki from three schools across Kāpiti took the future of our environment into their own hands by getting them dirty at Greater Wellington’s tree planting event in Queen Elizabeth Park (QEP) as part of the regional council’s winter planting programme. Over a hundred students from Te Rā Waldorf School, Raumati South School, and Paekākāriki School planted 1,000 native species on the bank of Whareroa Stream. Their efforts…

Keep New Zealand Beautiful is once again asking Kiwis to ‘Do the Right Thing’ and come together to make a collective difference by getting involved in this year’s Clean Up Week between September 13-19.The community pride initiative, run annually by Keep New Zealand Beautiful, inspires businesses, schools, community groups and individuals to actively participate in cleaning up their little part of Aotearoa.Clean Up Week is New Zealand’s largest…

Councillor Jackie Elliott is waging a campaign to keep the well used Waikanae Recycling Centre open after a move by Council to close it down. “As Portfolio Leader for Sustainable Waste Management I have noticed how much better small communities like Ōtaki and Paekākāriki do minimising waste and finding creative ways to re-use and re-purpose resources,” says Cr Elliott. Cr Elliott says at a recent Council workshop,…

Kāpiti community groups, iwi, schools, neighbourhood groups and businesses can apply for funding to support innovative solutions for reducing waste until 25 July. Waste Levy grants support projects which reduce waste in Kāpiti across three categories: community projects, seed funding for waste innovation projects, and business waste reduction. The community projects grant sets aside $20,000 to support a range of practical, on-the-ground waste minimisation efforts. The fund encourages…

The Akatarawa Forest (see map) on the Kāpiti Coast is undergoing a significant 1080 drop through the month of June and residents are advised to stay away from the drop area. Greater Wellington’s biodiversity team say they are undertaking an aerial possum control operation in the Akatarawa Forest, using the biodegradable pesticide, sodium fluoroacetate (1080). Non-toxic pre-feed application has occurred, and aerial baiting of 1080 is expected during…

Greater Wellington is working with landowners to identify fish passage barriers in Kāpiti Coast waterways, a programme that connects to larger initiative with local iwi, catchment experts and students to ensure our native freshwater fish can migrate and spawn. In our region, there are around 20 native freshwater fish species living in our streams, rivers and connected pipes. Most of these fish need to migrate to and…

The long weekend ahead is being heralded by many duck hunters in the lower North Island as the “second opening” of the season, and Fish & Game is expecting a big turnout. Wellington Fish & Game manager Phil Teal says although the start to the season was a bit slow due to fine weather, there are still plenty of birds around and, combined with the bonus day…

Monday 7 June, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Ngā Manu Nature Reserve would like to say “a massive thank you to all our supporters and on Monday June 7 you will be able to visit Ngā Manu for just $1 or $2 dollars.” At Nga Manu visitors will experience both forest and wetland habitats and the walk-through aviaries and nocturnal house offer close-up encounters with our rare…

Kāpiti Council is moving ahead with its commitment to prioritise how the district responds to coastal challenges in the face of a changing climate, and associated rising sea and groundwater levels. Mayor K Gurunathan says with 38km of coastline, anticipating and planning for significant environmental challenges that lie ahead for Kāpiti coastal communities, and our infrastructure assets, is a priority. “Our climate is changing and severe weather…