Nor'West News: June 19, 2018

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday June 19 2018 3
News
Rats invade park in St Albans
• By Sophie Cornish
RATS HAVE taken up
residence in Abberley Park,
St Albans, threatening the
monarch butterfly and fantail
populations.
Traps have been set to rid the
park of rats. Friends of Abberley
Park group member Patricia
Wallace said butterfly numbers
had been noticeably dwindling.
“When concerns were raised
that rats might be eating
butterflies in the trees at night, it
immediately spiked our interest.
We also have quite a lot of
fantails and we know rats eat the
eggs and fledglings of our native
birds like these,” she said.
City council manager
community parks Al Hardy said
while no decisions have been
made in relation to rat control,
cameras, traps and a small
number of mice and rat traps
have shown evidence of rats in
the park.
Only one rat nest has been
found so far, after a dog had a
particular interest with one tree.
“We shook the trees and
we saw rats running in the
branches,” said Ms Wallace.
Ms Wallace is calling on
any volunteers who could help
to reduce the problem, and is
urging the public to report any
information if they see rats in
the park.
She said all parties involved
want to be careful about what
sort of traps that are set.
“Because it’s a public park, it’s
bounded by domestic buildings
which will probably have cats
and dogs and there are children,
too, who enjoy the park, too, so
we can’t be having any poison
UNWELCOME VISITOR: A rat
that was spotted in a tree in
Abberley Park, St Albans.
baits.” She believes the number
of rats in Christchurch has
increased since the earthquakes.
“There is still an awful lot
of buildings in demolition or
rebuild states in St Albans.”
‘We’re optimistic that the
new traps might make a big
difference and we are asking
people to notify us if they see
any rat nests in the park,” she
said.
•Want to help out at
Abberley Park or have
information about the rats?
You can reach the Friends
of Abberley Park on their
Facebook page: https://
www.facebook.com/
Friends-of-Abberley-
Park-1067633789987213/
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In Brief
PRINCIPAL RETIRES
The principal of Isleworth
School will retire at the end of
this year. Jeanette Shearer has
been principal at the school for
12 years. Mrs Shearer also has
several other roles including
being the former president of the
Canterbury Primary Principals’
Association and leader of the
Waimairi-iri Community of
Learning. The board of trustees
will now seek a replacement to
begin in 2019. BOT chairwoman
Heather Algar said Mrs Shearer
has been a “pinnacle part of the
growth of Isleworth School over
the past 12 years.”
WORK ON PUMP STATIONS
The city council is targeting
work on pump stations in the
north-west of the city to improve
well head security, in order to
stop chlorinating the water at
those pump stations. Water
supply improvement programme
manager Helen Beaumont said
the pump stations involved
have a mix of above ground and
below ground well heads. Those
identified for remedial works are
Grampian, Farrington, Burnside,
Grassmere, Hills and Mays.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said she will
remain determined to have city
council resolve the chlorination
issue within the 12 months.
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