Bay Harbour: March 07, 2018

Wednesday <strong>March</strong> 7 <strong>2018</strong><br />

Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />

BAY HARBOUR<br />

PAGE 3<br />

News<br />

Local<br />

News<br />

Now<br />

Fire rages, homes at risk<br />

Rats on the rise in Sumner as<br />

cooler weather approaches<br />

• By Sarla Donovan<br />

MORE RATS are being trapped<br />

in Sumner as autumn arrives.<br />

Predator Free Sumner coordinator<br />

Gabe Ross said they<br />

were starting to “haul them in,”<br />

with 23 caught in February.<br />

“The animals start to look<br />

for new sources of food, as the<br />

weather cools and the autumn<br />

bounty starts to disappear.”<br />

Esplanade resident Phil<br />

Loughnan has single-handedly<br />

SWEET TOOTH: This rat<br />

couldn’t resist the bait –<br />

Whittaker’s peanut chocolate.<br />

nabbed 13 rats at or near his<br />

home at the western end of<br />

Scarborough Beach.<br />

There were also five hedgehogs<br />

caught in February.<br />

It brings the total catch to 117<br />

since the programme started in<br />

October.<br />

Mr Ross said while the numbers<br />

might not seem that high<br />

– there are 178 traps in the area –<br />

“we are dealing with varying levels<br />

of enthusiasm and expertise<br />

in both trapping and reporting,<br />

so it is a good start.”<br />

Predator Free Sumner last year<br />

received a Kiwibank grant to<br />

subsidise 140 traps in the greater<br />

Sumner area, from Clifton Hill<br />

to Taylors Mistake.<br />

Co-ordinator Gabe Ross said<br />

the uptake in the community<br />

had been excellent.<br />

But educating people about<br />

keeping traps set all the time,<br />

how best to keep them baited<br />

and what baits to use was ongoing,<br />

he said.<br />

“It’s a learning process we’re all<br />

going through.”<br />

Trap numbers would have<br />

to increase if Sumner was to<br />

become predator free.<br />

PREDATORS: A ‘heatmap’ of catches since October – the red<br />

spots indicate areas where a lot of pests have been caught.<br />

He estimated a fifth of households<br />

would need to be actively<br />

trapping.<br />

“We’re well below that at present.<br />

If we were just to cover the<br />

valley floor, it would take about<br />

300 rat traps, evenly spaced. That<br />

would be a pretty great start.”<br />

The group is looking at funding<br />

and sponsorship opportunities to<br />

increase their trap stocks.<br />

They were also looking at<br />

holding a ‘build-your-own-trap’<br />

workshop.<br />

In the meantime, Mr Ross<br />

said people can get in touch for<br />

advice and information:<br />

predatorfreesumner@gmail.com<br />

In Brief<br />

NEW POLICE SERGEANT<br />

Sergeant Franco Lovich will<br />

be taking over at the Lyttelton<br />

Police Station in April after<br />

Sergeant Craig Prior retired<br />

two weeks ago. Sergeant Greg<br />

Hume will oversee the role until<br />

Sergeant Lovich takes up the<br />

position.<br />

INJURED CYCLIST<br />

A cyclist suffered a broken rib,<br />

punctured lung and broken<br />

collar bone after losing control<br />

of their bike while travelling<br />

downhill on Long <strong>Bay</strong> Rd near<br />

Akaroa late Sunday morning.<br />

Akaroa Police Senior Constable<br />

Tim Johnson said no other<br />

vehicle was involved. The injured<br />

person was airlifted to hospital<br />

by helicopter. Two other cyclists<br />

were unhurt.<br />

CONSENT ON HOLD<br />

A resource consent application<br />

for a new cruise ship berth<br />

in Lyttelton is on hold until<br />

environmental concerns are<br />

addressed. The effects of noise<br />

created by prolonged pile driving<br />

on the protected Hector’s<br />

dolphins is one of the main<br />

concerns. The $56-million berth<br />

between Cashin Quay and the<br />

inner harbour entrance was due<br />

to open for the 2020 cruise<br />

season, but that timeline will<br />

now be revised.<br />

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