Swannanoa - Ohoka news is brought to you by the team at Northern Outlook
Recent posts
Thank you for using Neighbourly
Really cool denim jacket. Says medium but probably better for small. Pickup in Rangiora.
Make the most of your open shelves with a refresh using Resene paints.
Find out how to bring out the best in your shelves with this easy to follow advice.
This beautiful blue skirt is slim fitting and body forming. Size 10. Has lacy detail on bottom.
When you move into a Ryman village, the last thing you want to think about are your finances. From the day you move in, you’ll know how much you’re paying and what’s guaranteed to be paid back when you move out.
Ryman offers several Peace of Mind Guarantees, each one is designed to help … View moreWhen you move into a Ryman village, the last thing you want to think about are your finances. From the day you move in, you’ll know how much you’re paying and what’s guaranteed to be paid back when you move out.
Ryman offers several Peace of Mind Guarantees, each one is designed to help you feel confident and secure in your decision to move to a Ryman village. With financial certainty you can focus on enjoying the exciting everyday of life.
By David Hill, local democracy reporter
Rangiora cat rescue volunteers are calling for a cat bylaw to combat the region’s feral cat epidemic.
Karen Wilkes, founder of cat rescue organisation Kitty Kingdom Canterbury, and Tina Hartley are calling for a bylaw requiring owners to get their cat… View moreBy David Hill, local democracy reporter
Rangiora cat rescue volunteers are calling for a cat bylaw to combat the region’s feral cat epidemic.
Karen Wilkes, founder of cat rescue organisation Kitty Kingdom Canterbury, and Tina Hartley are calling for a bylaw requiring owners to get their cat desexed and microchipped.
The pair recently met with Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon and cited similar bylaws already adopted by the Selwyn District Council and the Wellington City Council.
The issue came to a head recently when a cat was found injured after being caught in a gin trap — normally used for catching possums — in central Rangiora.
"We got the call about this cat which people had been feeding over the last few years," Wilkes said.
"If he had been microchipped he probably wouldn’t have been walking the streets as a stray for so long."
But this was just the tip of the iceberg, as there were numerous instances of cats being dumped near rivers and in rural areas.
"People are just dumping cats and leaving them," Hartley said.
"And if people dump them at the Ashley River they will harm the birdlife because they need food.
"What Karen is trying to do is trap them, and then get them desexed, and rehomed, so we can stop this population explosion."
Wilkes said one female cat could have four or five litters of kittens in a year, with up to five kittens in a litter, if she was not desexed.
Over eight years, more than 2 million descendants could be bred from one female cat, she said.
"People are already threatening to poison or harm cats and some are already doing it, so something needs to be done."
Gordon said he was looking into the Selwyn bylaw and had written to the appropriate government minister.
He said it would be difficult to enforce a bylaw.
"I think in order for a bylaw like that to be successful it probably needs to be adopted by all councils in the region.
"This is to stop litters being born in Christchurch, where there is no bylaw, and being driven into rural areas to be dumped."
Kittens could be desexed at 10 weeks or when they reached one kilogram in weight.
They could be microchipped at the same time.
Wilkes called for a national database of microchipped cats to be developed.
"I’m always scanning rescued cats and hoping, ‘please let it be chipped’."
She was applying for grants to help people to get their pets desexed.
This Sunday the Rangiora R S A Car Boot Market in the carpark from 9 am to 1 pm. Lots of great stalls with lots of great bargains for all including new craft items, recycled items, clothing , art, plants, etc etc. Arthur will be there with his Raupo seedhead garden sculptures, Rustic bird feeders, … View moreThis Sunday the Rangiora R S A Car Boot Market in the carpark from 9 am to 1 pm. Lots of great stalls with lots of great bargains for all including new craft items, recycled items, clothing , art, plants, etc etc. Arthur will be there with his Raupo seedhead garden sculptures, Rustic bird feeders, and Fairy house fronts for children plus a few plants.
On Tuesday, the 25th of April we commemorate all Australians and New Zealanders who have served and died for their country. But it's also an opportunity to connect and share stories about your ancestors. What does Anzac Day mean to you?
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your … View moreOn Tuesday, the 25th of April we commemorate all Australians and New Zealanders who have served and died for their country. But it's also an opportunity to connect and share stories about your ancestors. What does Anzac Day mean to you?
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the We Say You Say column of your local paper.
Tonight is the night - due to popular demand the Rangiora Early Records Society is showing the film “The Life Adventures of Milly Ward” a 95 year old Rangiora resident who was born in the Chatham Islands and came to the mainland aged 12. Willie Fraser, Chatham Islands, will also be present to … View moreTonight is the night - due to popular demand the Rangiora Early Records Society is showing the film “The Life Adventures of Milly Ward” a 95 year old Rangiora resident who was born in the Chatham Islands and came to the mainland aged 12. Willie Fraser, Chatham Islands, will also be present to answer questions. All welcome. A donation from non members would be appreciated. 7.30pm at the Museum, 29 Good Street. Supper will be served.
From reporter Lee Kenny:
Canterbury’s mayors have called for an additional $1 billion to improve transport in the region, but no-one can say exactly what the extra cash would be spent on.
The funding is one of three “immediate priorities” in the Plan for Canterbury 2023-2025, which says… View moreFrom reporter Lee Kenny:
Canterbury’s mayors have called for an additional $1 billion to improve transport in the region, but no-one can say exactly what the extra cash would be spent on.
The funding is one of three “immediate priorities” in the Plan for Canterbury 2023-2025, which says ensuring the transport system is “fit for purpose requires significant investment”.
The document has been drawn-up by Canterbury Mayoral Forum, which is made up of the mayors of Canterbury’s 10 territorial authorities and Peter Scott, chairperson of Environment Canterbury (ECan).
It doesn’t state exactly how the extra billion would be spent, but one transport expert said although the extra detail “would be useful”, it was still a good message to send to Wellington.
A report published on Wednesday said the additional $1b for the region’s “vast transport network” is required over the next 10 years as “current funding sources do not meet present or future [...] resilience requirements”.
When asked what specific projects the $1b might fund, Hurunui District mayor Marie Black said: “At this point it’s probably not useful to think about specific details, but actually the direction that we are looking is to create a better link and help people mind-shift into that integration.”
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger was not available for comment, while Ecan was also unable to respond to questions about what the cash would be used for.
The Mayoral Forum report said transport strongly influences economic development, “supporting supply chains that are critical for getting our exports to market and imports back to us”.
“Current funding sources from local authorities and the National Land Transport Fund will not meet current needs, particularly when faced with resilience issues.”
Although no specific concerns or solutions are stated, “there are options to be investigated”, the report said.
Christchurch transportation engineer Glen Koorey said it was good news that transport was being prioritised by the region’s mayors but greater detail “would be useful”.
Ministers often expect people to “present a case”, when they are asking for extra funding.
“Having said that, it’s probably a useful message to be able to say to Wellington, we feel we're a bit underserved.
“Canterbury has often felt underserved in terms of funding, Wellington often seems to do better for a region the same size, if not smaller,” he said.
“I can understand (the Canterbury Mayors) asking for a bigger piece of the pie.”
The Plan for Canterbury 2023-2025 also calls for improved flood prevention and better policies to attract skilled workers to region, as Canterbury’s gross domestic product (GDP) per person “lags (behind) the national average”.
Canterbury is New Zealand’s largest region by land area, with 78,000km of rivers and streams, which present “substantial risk of major flooding events”, the report said.
The mayors are calling on the Government for “permanent co-investment in flood protection”, to shift the focus from disaster relief and recovery to mitigation of flood risks, reducing the long-term costs.
The Rangitata River burst its banks in December 2019 causing widespread flooding, while extreme rain in May 2021 led to a regional state of emergency and hundreds of evacuations.
These recent events demonstrated how vulnerable parts of the region are to flooding, said Gary Kircher, mayor for Waitaki District, which also spans Otago.
“Flooding has impacted us probably more than other natural disasters,” he said.
“Just last July and August there were multiple flood events around Omarama and Otematata, and we have those challenges across the region.”
The mayors will travel to Wellington next month to outline their aims to ministers.
“Having one voice is going to be more effective and benefit all of us,” Kircher said.
From reporter Sinead Gill:
A cat believed to have owners died painfully of sepsis following an air rifle wound – and while it’s unclear if it’s linked to a hunting competition for children, it highlights the risk of “unnecessary pain and distress” for the animals targeted, the SPCA … View moreFrom reporter Sinead Gill:
A cat believed to have owners died painfully of sepsis following an air rifle wound – and while it’s unclear if it’s linked to a hunting competition for children, it highlights the risk of “unnecessary pain and distress” for the animals targeted, the SPCA says.
Hunters aged 14 or younger are being offered a $250 cash prize for whoever can kill the most feral cats in North Canterbury over the next two and a half months.
It is part of the annual North Canterbury Hunting Competition, a beloved community event and fundraiser for Rotherham School and pool. There is also a $4600 spot prize for junior hunters in the form of a kids motorbike.
Junior hunters have from April 15 until late June to kill as many cats they can. The new category was met almost entirely with praise by locals when it was launched, but some have since expressed concern that most people, let alone children, would not be able to tell the difference between feral and non-feral cats.
One domesticated cat may already be a casualty, though the SPCA said a link was not certain.
Inspectorate team leader Sam Cairns said a North Canterbury cat was taken into the SPCA on Monday with an air rifle pellet wound. It later died from sepsis.
The cat was handed in by a member of the public. The SPCA had yet to locate an owner, but the cat was microchipped and desexed.
“While we are uncertain of whether this cat was shot during the [hunting] event, it demonstrates that the use of an air rifle caused unnecessary pain and distress for the cat,” a spokesperson said.
Cairns recommended people use lostpet.co.nz and relevant social media pages to find their missing pets.
“These are very sad situations, causing a painful death for the cat and distress to those who’ve lost a pet.”
An SPCA spokesperson said the charity was “extremely concerned” about the competition, which could see domestic pets and strays caught in the crossfire.
The likelihood of air rifles being used could increase pain, distress, and the chance of prolonged death for the targeted animals.
The organisation was investigating the cat’s death and making inquiries with competition organisers, but had yet to receive a response. The SPCA noted on social media that the event itself was not breaking any laws.
On a now-deleted social media post by competition organisers, which opened the junior competition on April 15, participants were warned anyone found with a microchipped cat in their bounty would be eliminated.
Margaret Maguire, a former sponsor and local, said she feared for her cats’ safety, particularly her cat George, and others like him who were born feral but raised domestically.
“The animal would have to be dead before they know [it was chipped].”
Maguire was raised rurally and understood the importance of pest control, but was doubtful that most people, let alone children, could tell the difference between her domesticated farm cats and wild ones, she said.
Feral cats were considered cats who lived independently of humans, and were not the same as stray and house cats, which had varying interactions and dependence on people.
Craig Gillies, a principal science adviser for DOC, said the difference in appearance was “virtually impossible” to tell.
Feral cats had a major impact on native wildlife, and its introduction as a category was mostly met with praise by locals.
Gillies said DOC “absolutely” supported the control of feral cats, as they had a major impact on native wildlife, but it had to be “undertaken by experienced people using approved humane methods”.
That included equipment of the correct calibre, used by trained professionals.
The competition ends on the weekend of June 23 to 25.
Competition organisers declined to comment until before a formal meeting on Tuesday evening.
Deadline Sale
Marketed by Aaron Clark
© Neighbourly 2024
Loading…
