In the spotlight today
Dunne: West Coast public deserve answers – 2008-08-08
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne is demanding that DoC, the Animal Health Board and the Regional Council adhere to the wishes of the West Coast public and cease aerial 1080 operations on the West Coast.
“The fact is people on the West Coast are sick of the belligerent attitude of this Government department carrying on its indiscriminate poisoning operations regardless of public opinion,” said Mr Dunne.
“Recent aerial 1080 operations on the West Coast have been responsible for the death of several endangered kea, 10 domestically farmed deer, and have also posed a risk to public health through the proximity of drops to public water supplies.
“I cannot fathom why 1080 is aerially applied to a bush block at the back of a farm, surely the area is accessible by vehicle and foot meaning ground baiting should be used as the preferable application method as stipulated by ERMA during their review of the poison.
“Reluctantly the New Zealand public have accepted the use of aerial 1080 as a means by which to fight the prevalence of possums, stoats and rats on inaccessible land but when that mandate is abused as it has been recently the public deserve some answers.
“I would like to know why ground application and bait stations could not be used in situations where public health, domestically farmed animals or native bird species are at risk, surely this would be a more cautious and safety-first approach?
“While UnitedFuture is supportive of the protestors we do not condone recent aggressive acts of one or two who have targeted DoC workers, contractors and their property.
“UnitedFuture stands by the people of the West Coast in demanding the discontinuance of aerial 1080 poison operations,” said Mr Dunne.