Urban possum-control programme expands in New Plymouth

12 November 2015

New Plymouth’s urban residents are urged to help control possums threatening the city’s native biodiversity, with the expansion of a possum-control programme.

Taranaki Regional Council is widening the boundaries of its urban possum control programme in New Plymouth, which first began early 2014.

It will now include residents in western suburbs as far the Herekawe Stream. This includes; parts of Whalers Gate, Ferndale, Hurdon, Westown, Frankleigh Park, Lynmouth, Moturoa and Spotswood.

Any residents who are interested in helping to control possums in those areas, are urged to contact the Council to join the programme; called the Herekawe Community Possum Control Programme.

Council Environment Services Manager Steve Ellis says the programme is being expanded due to its encouraging results so far, having a direct impact on reducing possum and rat numbers.

“The programme is benefitting our native birds, vegetation, insects and other native animals such as lizards. It is also reducing possum damage to private gardens and orchards and we want to replicate that in this new area,” he says.

The New Plymouth District Council carries out possum control in parks, reserves and walkways

“We work with residents to establish a network of possum control on private land to fill in the gaps through Taranaki Regional Council’s community possum control programme,” Mr Ellis says.

With the addition of the Herekawe programme, the urban possum control programme will cover all of New Plymouth from the Waiwhakaiho River to the Herekawe Stream and extend to the city’s inland boundary.

The self-help possum programme in rural Taranaki covers most farmland (235,000 hectares) on the ring plain and coastal terrace, where possum numbers are being kept below the target rate.

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