ABOUT US

Tapora Land and Coast Care Group inc.
Creating a Mainland Island for the Okahukura Peninsular
Treasurer Bryan Bingley
Patrons Jackie and Pierre Chatelanat
Chairman Wally McConnell Secretary John Lane
16 10 07

On the twentieth of October 2006 it was decided that the Tapora Land and Coast Care Group should and could take the Mainland Island concept a step closer to reality by forging a partnership with the N Z Kiwi Foundation .
Since then we have been successful with funding applications to the A S B Charitable Trust for traps , toxins and equipment ($49 000 ) to the N Z Diversity Condition Fund for ($80 000) to be spent over two years and the Rodney County have helped us to the extent of $2 000 from the Natural Heritage Fund. We have yet another application being considered by the N Z Transpower Landcare Trust for assistance with the challenge of keeping the Tapora Water Supply Association Catchment area pest and predator free. We are unable to use toxins here .

We have been successful with a tender for a possum control contract with the A R C for 3 000 hectares of the peninsular and since early August Bill Paikea and Robert Te Ahu and at times others of the Paikea family have been working on this project as well as setting up bait stations and traps as they work through an area. There is now approximately a third of the peninsular serviced with bait stations, at this stage all of the flats from the school to the sand island and the hill country from Fitzgerald road to the Bird's Beach settlement. We are employing Terry Johnston for two days a week to set up traps and Terry is helping to establish and extend a buffer zone from the Port Albert river side of Marsh road to Stable's landing There are traps set in much of the peninsular and there have been quite a number of mustelids taken already.

The Tapora Land and Coast Care Group began in 2004 but the possibility of forming such a group had been discussed in the mid nineties or even earlier with many residents and visitors noting the short distance water to water from the Takahe Creek on the Oruawharo River or Northern side of the Peninsular to the Opou Creek on the Southern side . The opportunity to build a predator proof fence was one of the options considered and the cost efficient grouping of bait stations at fifty metre intervals was put in place in 2005.

Our group first obtained funding from NZ Lotteries for $10 000 and a further $2 000 from the Transpower Landcare Trust. This funding was used entirely on a possum control programme for the most part supplementing a possum fur recovery operation run by Bill Paikea We supplied the toxins and Bill gathered in the marsupials around 20 000 and we were able to understand some of the problems faced by staff from the A R C and the Department of Conservation and I think we have established a satisfactory working relationship with personnel from both organizations. Our group have been part of the trees for survival programme run with the Tapora School and this along with grants from the Environment Initiatives Fund (A R C ) means that we have been involved with planting out more than $8 000 worth of trees .

In September 2006 we began discussions with the N Z Kiwi Foundation and on the 30th of October we decided to apply for funding to make our Peninsular pest and predator free with the long term goal of re establishing Kiwi, Weka , Kereru and creating a safer breeding habitat for the Terns and other sea birds that raise their young on the coastline .
Greg Blunden and Jo Ritchie from the Kiwi Foundation did most of the spade work in these applications and in drawing up an integrated management plan using existing pest and predator free examples that have worked well in the Bay of Islands All of our applications have been successful and $80 000 from the Bio diversity condition fund to be used over two seasons and funding from the A S B charitable trust to almost $49 000 was granted the first week in April .

Funding was made available on the expectation that there would be contributions from the privately owned land in Tapora to the value of $32 000 and when the largest landowner here offered rather limited financial support to the Mainland Island Concept it has become a a little more of a challenge to satisfy the Trusts who have supported this undertaking that we have enough local support for the proposal There are obviously different views on what is important in life from some absentee owners perspective or even for those of our community who are considering selling their properties On the positive side our contacting of a greater number of our residents has in many ways been a rewarding exercise and we have found many supporters and already some new issues to be involved in. (Harbour Management, Mangroves and a Shoreline clean up)
The Rodney District Council have been able to help us by paying for our signage and for purchasing the bait stations needed for the so called buffer zone an area from Marsh road to Stables landing and the long term goal is to extend this buffer zone as far as the bridge between Wharehine and Port Albert.
The support from staff from the Department of Conservation and Regional and District councils has been considerable and the recognition of our efforts from local Iwi and the whole hearted involvement in Operation Kiwi from staff and pupils of the Tapora School has often made this entire undertaking seem worthwhile.

The Tapora School staff and pupils have been hugely supportive of our efforts and we are hoping to record our progress through a link with the school's web site and the recording of data from the hand held G P S re bait stations and traps . Our group have purchased this unit, have a lot of bait stations and traps still to be placed and we own a Kawasaki quad and trailer ( supplied at cost by Mike and Pam Wilkins and the Wilkins also make the quad they keep at the beach available to our group ) and we hope to purchase two live cat traps and buy a freezer to store bait for our traps . Donations of rabbits etc for this part of the project will be important and appreciated .

GOALS

TAPORA LAND and COAST CARE GROUP INCORPORATED

OBJECTIVES:

1: To work with Local Authority personnel in noxious animal eradication programnes

2: To identify and assist in conservation projects

3 To work towards creating the mainland island concept for the Tapora peninsular

4: To promote and improve access to areas of historical interest and the walkways to bush and beach.

5: To assist in the control and eradication of noxious weeds . Members
Members are to be residents or ratepayers of the Tapora district There shall be at least two classes of member

A:
Those people who make a contribution to the value of thirty dollars either as a cash subscription or make not less than three hours of their time available annually for the groups projects such members shall have the right to serve as office holders of the group, to attend and to vote at any general meeting of the group and on the recommendation of any three of these members any resident or ratepayer may become a member of the organization.
A member can resign in writing at anytime from the group and shall be considered to have terminated their membership if their payment of cash or kind has not been made annually to the organization.
Members can have their membership terminated at any general meeting of the organization if the majority of the members present agree that such a member has acted in a manner contrary to the group's interests.
Notice of this action shall be posted to all members at least seven days prior to such a meeting

B:          
Those people who as ratepayers and residents wishing to be involved in a less limited
manner shall be considered members of this group but shall not be eligible to serve as office holders or to vote at general meetings of the group . [ These class B members are to be informed of all group projects and initiatives .

The group may elevate individuals or business's to a special or sponsors membership in the event of such making a major contribution to group finances or projects.
These members shall have voting rights at general meetings and are to be informed of group projects and initiatives .
The conditions pertaining to classes of membership or to the objects of the group may be changed at any general meeting of this organization

MEETINGS

The group shall have an annual general meeting in March of every year to elect a Chairperson a Secretary Treasurer and three other committee persons.
These officers to be nominated and seconded by members present at such a meeting and elected by a show of hands or when more than one nominee for a position is received the appointment can be made by secret ballot. These elected will be considered the management committee and they may appoint another member to this committee in the event of a resignation or the loss of one of their number.

A general meeting may be held at any time at [a, the management committee's recommendation or b, on receipt of a signed request for such a meeting from not less than seven members of the organization. Notice of any general meeting to be given to all members at least seven days prior to such a meeting Seven members shall be considered a quorum for a general meeting of the organization and three for management committee meetings
Meetings of the management committee to be held when required or requested by members of this committee but it is suggested at not less than three monthly intervals Common Seal
The secretary treasurer shall be in possession of this seal to be used when authorised on official documents.

Tapora Land and Coast Care Group Funds
The secretary treasurer and one other management committee member shall be the trustee's of the group and shall receipt money received and sign cheques and make payments on the organization's behalf. The management committee may invest surplus funds at fixed rates at any bank .

Winding up of the organization.
In the event of the organization no longer functioning or being put into liquidation any funds or assets shall be given to a local organization involved in conservation projects in the district.

KIWI FACTS

PREDATORS

Auckland Regional Council
H C V Possum Control
Dear Sirs , I enclose a tender for the Okahukura contract and some information about our group.

Our organization was formed in 2004 with the aim of creating a mainland island on this peninsular and to work with personnel from the Department of Conservation and the Regional Council to achieve this. We have received funding from NZ Lotteries, the Transpower Trust and have had two grants from the Environment Initiatives Fund. Moneys from the E I fund has been used to improve and enhance wetlands and the $11000 from the Lotteries and the Transpower trust has been spent on possum programmes. We have had assistance from both Regional and County Council , the bait stations that are in place across the peninsular at Atiu Creek farm were installed with help and guidance from the Bio security division of the regional council and I believe we have a good working relationship with the staff of the Department of Conservation.

In October 2006 we formed a partnership with the N Z Kiwi Foundation and have been successful with funding applications from the A S B trust $49 000 and from the NZ Diversity Condition Fund $80 000 and have a commitment of $29 000 from the NZ Kiwi Foundation along with contributions from the local community expected to reach more than $20 000 ( in hand and pledged more than $10 000 to date) all to try and make this part of the world pest and predator free. We have support from almost all of this community although some may be less than what was expected and our committee are all local landowners and the main thrust of our operation was to start at the same time as this contract . It is now our intention to build our programme around this contract if we are to be successful with this tender.

SPONSORS

NZ Lotteries
Transpower
Land Care Trust
Rodney District Council
NZ Kiwi Foundation
AKLD Regional Council
ASB Trust
Dpt Of Conservation

Operation Kiwi is almost underway. Funding for the project is as follows.

Biodiversity Condition Fund  $80000

ASB $56000

Charitable Trust $48000

Rodney District Council $2000

N Z Kiwi Foundation $20000+

A R C Target Pest Contract
Possum Control on 3500 Hectares May + June 2007 $75000 This contract has been terminated as Target Pest are in receivership . The contract will be re tendered and it is possible that a tender for this work will made from either Tapora Landcare or N Z Kiwi Foundation.

The A R C have also begun a possum eradication programme
on Atiu Creek priced at $8000

Our fund applications were put together on the expectation
that $40 000 would a contribution from our community and
landowners. $40000

The withdrawal of all support and then the limited promised
$100 per hectare from our largest landowner has made the achievement of operation Kiwi a little more difficult .
At our AGM 11 05 07 it was suggested that the incoming Committee make a recommendation of contributions required to satisfy the Trusts that have made grants on the understanding that there would be monetary support from our community and landowners.
Our recommendation is as follows.
House or dwelling $50 00 Farms or lifestyle blocks $50 per dwelling and $3 00 per hectare up to 100 hectares and larger properties $2 00 per hectare plus the $50 00 per dwelling . One of the largest costs of our budget is for rodentcide (close to $20 000 )and any programme to do with eradicating rats from our peninsular will have to target every home here .
A hundred houses = $5 000 total $5000 The supply of a Quad and trailer through Mike and Pam Wilkins at cost equates to a donation of $3 000 $3000 We may be able to get more help from the Rodney District Council to acknowledge the area that the County administer (roads + reserves) $5000 8 500 privately owned hectares @ $2 50 = $19250 Close to the local input figure quoted in our fund applications

From our Budget for establishment year

No 6 Fenn Trap + covef00 @ $45 = $4500
Doc 200 in wooden boxes @$45  = $4 500
S A Cat traps @$23 = $2 300
Small Philproof Stations @$ 9 = $9 000
Bait Bags and rodencide = $17000
Pestoff/Ferasol = $ 4 100
Feratox  = $8 200
G P S Hand held = $ 350

Total Materials $50 450 + $6306 GST = $56756 Kawasaki Q $ 7 804 + $ 9 76 G ST =$ 8780 $8780 Tipper Trailer $ 1 995inc Reg + WOF$ 120 $2120 Labour
Estimated at per unit $36000 - $72000, additional Possum work $18000.

CONTACT US

Name: Wally McConnell
Address: 711 Okahukura Rd Tapora R D 7 Wellsford Warkworth
Ph: 0-9-422 1822