Southern View: July 29, 2021

SOUTHERN VIEW Thursday July 29 2021 7
moving feast
•
“Those birds are really
important, they’re genetically
quite unique and we’re hoping
to breed some young from them
this year.”
Signs they would hit it off
come breeding season were
promising, as the pair were
“hanging out” rather than fighting,
he said.
The programme aimed to
breed and release takahe, as
Willowbank had done with
other birds, such as the kaka in
Abel Tasman National Park.
It was always exciting to work
with DOC to do releases, Ackroyd
said.
People’s interest in Willowbank
and learning about native
wildlife was also encouraging,
from strangers to his own children.
“I’ve got two kids who have
both come through here heaps
of times and they love it too.”
However, his favourite aspect
of the job was working with likeminded
people.
“We all love working with animals
and want to really make a
difference in that conservation/
native animal area.”
This made up for the less appealing
aspects of the job, such
as working through wicked early
morning frosts, chopping up
chicken to feed the ferret.
People would be surprised at
how much of his role involved
preparing food for the animals
and cleaning their dishes, he
said.
“There are lots more cleaning
and tidying jobs than you might
expect.”
As a child, he would not have
expected to find himself in this
job, in spite of his interest in
animals, he said.
“My zoo keeping career
started a little bit sideways. I
trained to be a teacher and I
Big Fat BeautiFul pieS
SKILFUL:
Moriarty
looking for
something
to get his
beak into.
did a zooology degree, but I
didn’t really want to work as a
teacher.”
Instead, he took on a job tour
guiding at Kelly Tarlton’s Sea
Life Aquarium, which proved
to be a foot in the door of an
animal keeping career.
He was pleased to work mostly
with birds now.
“Mammals are a bit smelly
and difficult, whereas birds are
lovely.
“It’s like a constantly moving
feast, Willowbank. There’s
always something new here.”
Petition started for more bins
From page 1
The more than 40-signature petition
follows growing complaints
from residents across the city
watching bins at their local parks
disappear to accommodate the
new “smart bins.”
“I just felt so strongly about it,”
said Meads.
“We’re all very concerned about
[council] taking the rubbish bins
away, it’s just ridiculous. My concern
is that people are still putting
piles of doggy poo bags where the
original bins were.
The city-wide project involves
the removal of more than 800 bins
at neighbourhood parks, but only
81 of them are being replaced with
BigBelly bins.
It is meant to be a solution to
overflowing rubbish bins as they
can hold up to six times more
rubbish than a standard bin, and
reduces scattered litter as they
have lids.
The changes, discussed during
Long Term Plan talks, is also
anticipated to save the city council
about $300,000 a year, reducing
the number of times contractors
emptied them.
City council head of Parks
Andrew Rutledge said since installing
the smart bins at Hansen
Park, contractors have emptied
them once every nine days, compared
to once every 2.3 days with
the old bins.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Has the
removal of rubbish bins at
your local park in favour
of bigger ones impacted
your neighbourhood?
Email your views to bea.
gooding@starmedia.kiwi
The two new bins are 600-litres
each increasing overall provision
for litter capacity at the park by 62
per cent.
However, he said the city council
has received four complaints of
rubbish dumping in spots where
bins once stood.
Contractors have also revisited
the park on six different occasions
to pick up the dumped trash,
“including dog poo.”
Rutledge said residents’ views
were welcome as they had valuable
information to make bin placement
more effective.
Said Rutledge: “This has been
the case for other areas in the city
where the community have assisted
us in the placement of additional
smart bins where required.’’
The move is expected to encourage
more people to take their
rubbish home instead.
Meads was not convinced this
would happen. He was not against
the new bins, he just opposed the
$830,000 installation cost and that
not enough of them have been
replaced.
Time to Say Goodbye
54 Studholme Street, Somerfield - Auction 12 August
3 bedrooms | 1 bathroom | 1 living room | 1 dining room | 1 office | 2 car garaging | 2 off street | Listing: BE193757
Small batch made from scratch, Coffee to go!
I Spy Food 78 Barrington Street, Somerfield | Phone: 03 337 0422
Your agent, Your home, Your future
LICENSED SALES CONSULTANT REAA 2008
after sixty five happy years in this loved home, it is time
to let another family enjoy living here.
Located in the heart of Somerfield this home offers you
two living rooms, three good sized bedrooms along with
a modern kitchen and bathroom. room here to add
your own touches to the house and enhance.
Well sited on the section, the house allows you to
maximise the area. Space here for the children to play,
plant some vegetables and grow flowers for your vase.
an opportunity for you to secure a holding in this highly
sought after area. Literally a minute from Somerfield
School and a few minutes walk from Cashmere high you
wouldn’t need to move again. Perhaps you may even
stay for sixty five years too.
P 027 777 0411
Like finding money down
the back of the sofa.
Show your dishes
who’s Bosch.
yellow
square
deals
Emory 2 Seater Sofa
& 3 Seater Sofa
9065545 / 9065547
Over
40% off
Limited stock at this price
Bosch Series 4
14 Place Setting
Dishwasher
SMS46GI01A 9040211
$999
130 ONLY
— please call 0800 764 847 to check availability. Personal shoppers only. Trade not supplied. Limits and other exclusions may apply, ask in-store for details. Discount is off our full retail price. Not available in conjunction with any other offer.