Latest news with #SouthTaranaki
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Cordons block roads in South Taranaki as police attend 'pre-planned operation'
Cordons are blocking roads in Normanby due to a pre-planned police operation. Photo: RNZ / Brad White Police have put in cordons in place in South Taranaki while they attend what is being described as a "pre-planned operation". They say the cordons blocking roads in Normanby, about 6 kilometres north of Hāwera have been put in place as a precaution. A member of the public said there were more than 20 armed police in attendance and more racing to the scene. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
23-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Preserving native bush and local history on the 'perfect farm'
rural farming about 1 hour ago Former South-Taranaki mayor Ross Dunlop has led the way with conservation efforts on his family farm.
RNZ News
23-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Country Life: Changing times on South Taranaki dairy farm
former South Taranaki mayor Ross Dunlop and wife Jan have lived on the home farm near Ōhawe together for 46 years. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life Ross Dunlop has called the family farm near Ōhawe in South Taranaki home all his life, though in three different homes. "Some people have moved all around the world, I've only just moved around the farm," he told Country Life. He and wife Jan moved into the main house over 40 years ago, and have seen the farm through many changes since. From helping regenerate native vegetation and improve water quality on farm, to preserving parts of the farms local history, Ross said it was the "perfect farm" combining their love of both conservation and history. Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. The farm looks very different now to when he first started, with about 15 percent in native bush. Ross says much of this has been achieved by just fencing off sections of bush to help it regenerate and waterways have also been fenced off Vegetation provides shelter and shade for stock and made the farm a "more pleasant environment to work in", he said. He said farmers were much more appreciative of the natural environment these days and it made farming more enjoyable. "When I grew up there was very little bush, it was pretty much a sterile farm with just animals and grass. "I've always had a real big interest in native trees and conservation. But I also want to have a productive farm so it's about getting that balance." The property was once run as a sheep and beef farm but now supports 450 milking cows. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life A small lake surrounded by native vegetation also helps reduce runoff. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life The former mayor of South Taranaki for 12 years, Ross said catchment groups had been a great initiative and key part of such changes in the region. It helped locals "buy into the idea" of conservation. He said the regional council has also been very proactive in planting waterways and acted as a sort of default catchment group. Ross joined the Waingongoro Catchment, one of the region's first, and was also a member of the Taranaki Catchment Collective which represents 14 other catchment groups from around the region. The farm is also involved in a bioreactor trial led by Massey University, which aims to improve water quality through reducing nitrate leaching. "[It's] basically a whole lot of wood chips. So you put the water through the woodchips, filter the water through it and it takes the nitrates out of the water," he explained. The bioreactor sits below a hillside lake, where the water streams down. As it does so, it is filtered throug a 10 metre by 5 metre bed of woodchips buried in the ground. Along with Massey University, the Dunlop's are trialing a bioreactor on the farm. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life Woodchips in the bioreactor will hopefully help filter out nitrates from the water. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life The water is tested at the top of the hill and down at the bottom to see what the nitrate levels are like. Unfortunately Taranaki's earlier drought has made testing challenging this year. "Because of the drought and I've never ever seen the water dry out, but for the first time ever it's dried out just when we need it as a showcase for our bioreactor." It's not just about preserving the environment and making improvements. Ross is also passionate about preserving the local Māori and farming history. "Conservation, it's not just about the natural environment. It's also about the human environment, and the stories that go with it, and preserving those for the future." By leaving bush to regenerate and helping fence off water ways, the Dunlop's have worked to improve water quality on farm. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life The farm like many in the region was once run as a sheep and beef property but was converted to dairy in 1989. Ross said it was symptomatic of landuse changes over the years, adding many of the region's sheep farms were now in dairy. "Lamb prices and wool were not looking good. And we are sort of in a dairying area. So [today] we milk about 450 cows on about 450 acres." A woolshed built by Ross acts as an informal museum, with a treasure trove of family heirlooms, old farms tools and pieces of history. It's also served as a venue for many events including an exhibition documenting the region's local wool stencils which are no longer in use, a result of the changing landuses and modern technology. A woolshed built by Ross on the farm serves many purposes, including as a venue for various local events. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life Ross is also passionate about preserving history, such as these wool fadge stencils from surrounding farms. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Kayak fisher brushes off sharks to land monster snapper
Christian-Ray Simons with the snapper he caught off the South Taranaki coast. Photo: Supplied A Taranaki kayak fisher brushed off a couple of shark encounters on his way to reeling in a massive snapper, which is odds-on to win its division in the year-long Export New Zealand Fishing Competition that closes at the end of May. Christian-Ray Simons and brother Daniel paddled six kilometres out off the South Taranaki Coast to where he hooked the 91cm, 12kg monster, but not before having to release two sharks he'd inadvertently snagged. "We caught a couple of decent-sized sharks, which we usually bring up to the side of the kayak and to get the hooks out if we can. Usually, if they're not too big, we'll lift them up and push their head down hard on our legs, so they can't nip us, and let them go again. "Most people just cut the hook off and it will rust out in 4-5 days in salt water, so you don't have to lift them up and risk losing your fingers." Simons, a contract dairy farmer, said it wasn't uncommon to encounter sharks while out fishing on their Viking kayaks, which weighed about a third as much as the sharks they let go on the day they caught the monster snapper. "One was a big grey boy or a school shark, and was maybe 60kg and 1.5m long. The other one was a seven-gill sort of polka-dot shark that scavenges the bottom, and that was probably roughly the same - 1.5-1.7 metres and about 60-80 kilos." Simons said he'd only ever been concerned about a shark once, while out on his kayak. "The only time I've been a little bit worried about having a shark around was when I had a marco shark almost a length of my kayak, swimming around me. That definitely had me pulling my toes out of the water." He thought he had a shark on the line, when the snapper took his bait. "I had a nice big snapper bait down, and thought I hooked up to a big kingfish or another big shark, and I fought it for about 20 minutes on the kayak. "It dragged me - the kayaks aren't very heavy, they're only 25-28 kilos - and there I was sitting on top of the water, being pulled by a fish half the weight of the kayak. It doesn't take much to for it to drag the kayak and start moving you around." The Simons brothers had paddled out to a sharp drop off and, after reeling in a couple of fish for the table, turned their attention to the big snapper. Christian-Ray, who also targeted marlin and tuna from his kayak, likened the experience to deer hunting with a bow. "It feels like the difference of going deer hunting with a gun - you can shoot them 300 metres away - or going deer hunting with a bow. It just adds that extra bit of a challenge, you have put in all the work to get to where you go. "When you catch a big fish, you have to play it. You can't lift 40 kilos of weight on the kayak or you'll tip out, so you have to play it more strategic and know what you're targeting, and take the gear you need to target that that as well." In this case, it was a good Shimano rod and reel, big hook and trevally bait. The snapper weighed in at 12kg and, although giant snapper were not regarded good eating and generally released, this fish came home with the Simons brothers. "This one was actually delicious. It was no different than getting a good 40-50 centimetre one. It went into a cashew carry and it was delicious." Simons, who had a second snapper in the competition's top 10, said if his fish did take out top prize in its division, it would be just about the bragging rights. "We're out there because we love it and not even about winning anything. It's just nice to be out and about and off the farm." The snapper weighed in at almost half the weight of the kayak. Photo: Supplied Export Fishing Competition chief executive Grant Blair was in awe of the Simons brothers on their kayaks. "That shows real commitment, and it's a great example of the wonderful New Zealand spirit of getting out there and doing it. "It just highlights the fact that some people are very competent and capable, and can have great success. You don't need a $300,000 boat to go and enjoy what we have on our coastline." Christian-Ray's snapper was eighth equal in the snapper division's Hall of Fame, where top dog was Brad Bowden, who landed a 95cm snapper from a boat off Little Barrier Island in 2017. Blair said the competition had a founding principle of sustainability, because fishers only had to take a photo of the fish against an approved measurement scale, allowing the choice of releasing their catch, or taking it home to feed friends and family. The contest was for fish caught using a rod and reel only, and saltwater species could be taken from boat, jetski or kayak, or from the beach or rocks. Blair said eligible species included snapper, kingfish, kahawai, trevally, gurnard (red gurnard only), tarakihi (excluding king tarakihi), john dory and blue cod, provided they met legal size limits. "Top dog gets the ultimate in bragging rights, so that's the biggest prize for the longest fish. Other prizes are drawn, and that just encourages people to engage with what we're doing and to think about sustainability, when they're out there fishing. "You're trying to do your best in the competition and catch something worthy, but also able to release the fish if they want to. It's quite a change in how competitions are run these days." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Trans-Tasman Resources' Taranaki seabed mining project clears first phase of Fast Track process
Greenpeace's Juressa Lee says mining 50 million tonnes of South Taranaki seabed every year will threaten marine life like pygmy blue whales, Māui and Hector's dolphins and kororā. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A company's plan to mine 50 million tonnes of South Taranaki seabed every year has cleared the first hurdle in the Fast Track process. Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) executive chair Alan Eggers said he was "delighted" the company's application for its Taranaki VTM project had been accepted as complete and would now move on to the next stage of the Fast Track process. Opponents, meanwhile, are "livid" and have vowed to continue their fight against the project. TTR wants to mine 50 million tonnes of sea bed a year for 30 years in the South Taranaki Bight. Eggers said the company had identified a world-class vanadium resource that could contribute $1 billion annually to the economy. "It'll generate export revenues of around $850 million a year which will make it New Zealand's 11th or 12th largest exporter. "Within the region it'll generate about 1150 jobs. We would spend about $230m annually and it'll generate $190m in government royalties and taxes per annum," Eggers said. Eggers denied the approval process was a "short cut" to avoid environmental compliance. "We still have to comply with the embedded safeguards for the environment in the EEZ Act [Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf Act 2012]. The Fast Track Act includes us having to comply with all the conditions and management plans that were approved under the EEZ Act." A map showing the area covered by the South Taranaki Bight Project. Photo: Trans-Tasman Resources He said the project planned to magnetically extract and export 5 million tonnes of heavy mineral sands containing iron ore and the critical minerals vanadium and titanium each year. "Our research and marine reports have been independently peer reviewed by international experts in their areas in terms of marine ecologies and plume effects," Eggers said. Greenpeace seabed mining campaigner Juressa Lee said dumping the remaining 45 million tonnes of sand back in to ocean each year would threaten marine life such as the pygmy blue whale, Māui and Hector's dolphins and the world smallest species of penguin, kororā - which migrated through the area. "Investors in TTR's project are trying to pull the wool over the public's eyes, telling us to 'trust the science'. But TTR has never been able to alleviate the courts' concerns for harmful impacts on wildlife and the environment," Lee said. The head of Kiwi's Against Seabed Mining, Cindy Baxter, said she was "livid" at the approval. She said there was "massive opposition" to the project and seabed mining in general. "A couple of weeks ago we saw 500 hundred people paddle out in Ōpunake against seabed mining. You've got many of the councils who are against it, you've got all the iwi, you've got surfers, you've got people who love their ocean, even the fishing industry is against it," Baxter said. Busloads of people protested outside the Environmental Protection Agency hearing to consider Trans Tasman Resources' seabed mining application in 2022. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin She said people were angry at being "shut out" of the approval process. "We're not allowed to make submissions - and it's the public opposition that has stopped this process so far - so that's why Christopher Luxon's government has shut us out of the process," Baxter said. Baxter said if the project was successfully approved it would create a precedent for seabed mining on coastlines all across the country. "When we first started opposing this in 2012 there were companies all waiting in the wings for this first application to get across the line and, if it does, it'll be open slather on our coastlines," Baxter said. She said activists would continue to oppose the project. "We will continue to make our voices heard and we're going to fight this all the way - as far as we can - through the courts. "If we need to get into boats and go out into the ocean to stop them we'll do that as well," Baxter said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
