Three stage improvement for Cape Wanbrow

Published on 24 July 2024

Over the next two months Waitaki District Council will be undertaking a variety of work on Cape Wanbrow to improve the natural environment, and access to it for the community.

Following an instruction from ORC rabbit control on the Cape, along with the Penguin colony and a section of Waterfront Road will be covered. The first stage of Rabbit control will begin in late July. Both poison and night shooting will be employed to reduce the population of rabbits on the Cape. 

Rabbits are a major problem for new plantings on Cape Wanbrow, especially as we seek to replace the pine stands with native plants and others – as Council will be doing in the third stage. Pindone has been determined as the most effective option for this rabbit control, and it will be deposited in areas with high numbers of rabbits.

Signage will clearly indicated when poison has been set, and the dates and time of night shooting and Council will provide updates on social media ahead of both. During this time we recommend that dogs are kept on lead at all times – please see information sheet on poison being used.

The second stage of improvements will begin in July and August, placing upgraded signage and parking facilities at the Test Street entrance to Cape Wanbrow. There is currently no official parking space at this location, and Council will be adding clearly marked spaces for the community to use at this location.

The third stage will take place in September and involves the removal of an ageing stand of ponderosa pines located on the Cape between Tamar Street and Selwyn Street. The trees in this block are beginning to drop branches, and once removed will be replaced, in time, with native planting – as has occurred elsewhere on the cape when other areas have been removed.

ENDS