United Future

Since Ermas review of 1080 in 2007, DOC and Regional Councils have been given permission to aerial drop 1080 everywhere. Not just in the backcountry but now also close to rural peoples homes.
1080 was aerial dropped on the hill above the town where I live last month. My husband and myself were not consulted by ECAN even though we were the nearest neighbours to this drop.We only found out at a public meeting in our town that 1080 was going to be aerial dropped 50m from our house a couple of weeks before the drop and we were only told at the meeting because I asked.If we hadn't noticed the small ad in our local bulletin advertising this meeting,we would never have known that 1080 was going to be dropped or how close it was going to dropped from our house.
Our only source of water,bore water,was going to be included in this drop.
Our other major concerns were for our animals,cats,dogs goats and hens.
Through the MOH we managed to get this drop extended to 500m from our house.
We have since read the resource consent that ECAN issued where it stated that 1080 was not to be aerial dropped closer than 150m from residential homes.
It is interesting to note that a representative from ECAN was at this meeting and he claimed that 1080 was safe to use because he'd even mixed it up in his own backyard in Twizel.
Four days after this 1080 drop we found a dead hawk,a protected bird,3m from our boundary.A phone call to DOC showed how disinterested they were and we are still waiting for them to call back.
My husband saw rabbits that had died in agony with their eyes nearly bulging from their heads and one that had clawed its own stomach open.He saw small pieces of chaff that should never have been used because of the risks to birds.
Since then our animals have been shut away to protect them and we have been buying our own drinking water.
We have a copy of the Graf boys film and we believe that it should be shown to all New Zealanders.People in cities have no idea of the harm that 1080 is causing to the environment and to people and animals.
It's a nightmare to live in a situation like this,being trapped on our own property and having to inspect our land each day for signs of more deaths.
Today my husband found a sick hawk that had an obvious injury.After ringing DOC to inquire about what we should do with it and not getting a reply back once again,we took it to a vet, an almost hour drive away.It wasn't 1080 that harmed this poor hawk. Some fool with an air rifle had shot it 3 times and we had to leave it at the vets to be put down.Which was so upsetting.
DOC are supposed to be the protectors of all wildlife.
Where are they when some poor innocent creature needs them?

ECan are now saying that we were advised appropriately of this 1080 drop.
Yeah right.
Like I said if we hadn't noticed the small ad in our local bulletin,we would never have known that 1080 was going to be aerial dropped so close to our home.
And if we hadn't noticed it,all of our animals may now be dead.
These are the words of the contractor who was employed to drop 1080 all over our backyard "I've got a cat that spends all day on the hill and after I drop 1080 I don't expect to see my cat ever again"
Our house was for sale the day after we heard those callous words.

We don't have a lot of hope of stopping the use of 1080 in NZ right now.
But if 1080 is so harmless, surely it could be displayed on supermarket shelves