Wild cats redefined by council

Pet cat owners can rest easy.

A Taranaki Regional Council hearings committee has recommended wild cats should be more clearly defined under the council’s draft biosecurity strategy, and proposed regional pest management plan, in an attempt to control their numbers and protect wildlife.

Recommendations from the committee were outlined at a TRC full meeting yesterday.

At submission hearings on October 17, environmental group Morgan Foundation had sought to redefine feral cats as those which had not been microchipped, or wore a collar, or harness.

The group supported feral cats being included in the pest management plan because there were sensitive wildlife areas where it was essential cat numbers were managed. But the definition that any cat not micro-chipped was wild may have included pet moggies living close to the urban rural boundary which liked to roam.

Instead the hearings committee has now recommended feral cats be defined as those which are unhomed, unsocialised and have no relationship with humans or dependence on humans.

The council also recommended feral cats be included in existing predator control programmes, such as the self-help possum control, to control disease and protect wildlife on the ring plain.

The committee recommended a fund be set up to pay contractors to maintain predator levels given many farmers may not have time to do the feral cat control work needed, as well as daily farming duties.

The hearings committee also recommended a cost effective and feasible eradication of the moth plant which is found in 18 urban coastal sites. The evergreen plant also grows as a 10 metre high vine in native forests and prevents regeneration.

Pampas grass was also removed from the list of control programmes, in support of a submission from Federated Farmers. There were also recommendations for the council to commit to preventing goats from inhabiting Egmont National Park, and managing the spread of yellow bristle grass.