Motutapu Island rāhui extended until elusive stoat caught
A rāhui over Motutapu Island is set to continue indefinitely, while an elusive stoat continues to wreak havoc with the island’s wildlife.
The pest-free island was placed under rāhui (ban) for 30 days by iwi Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki on May 18 as the Department of Conservation worked to curb a stoat outbreak – the fourth since May 2020.
Just two stoats have been caught since then, DOC incursion response advisor Claire Warren said.
No stoats have been captured since the rāhui commenced, Warren said, however genetic analysis of stoat faeces confirmed the presence of one male stoat on the island.
Ferry services to Rangitoto Island are not affected by the rāhui, however campsite bookings for the Motutapu Island campsite are unavailable.
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Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.2% Yes, it's fair
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10% No, it's unreasonable
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0.8% Other - I'll share below
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Smoke in Mt Wellington
Smoke has been seen coming from the crater of the Auckland maunga Mt Wellington.
Images of the smoke began appearing on social media on Friday afternoon.
Around 1.45pm, Fire and Emergency (Fenz) shift manager Josh Pennefather told the NZ Herald a crew was fighting a fire of about 60 square metres in size.
”It’s spreading up hill … [but] there’s no property at risk at this stage,” Pennefather said.
Six fire trucks were in attendance working to contain a grass fire that's spreading up the maunga.
A helicopter was on its way to assist firefighting efforts, he added.
At 2pm, Pennefather shared that the fire was contained and they were working to extinguish it, including “keeping an eye on a whole bunch of hot spots“.