Spraying Under Review
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Spraying Under Review
Date:
Thu, 31 Oct 2002 16:35:12 -0500
From:
Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide
Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman
whitman.christine@epa.gov
clearance@inl.co.nz
Spraying under review
FRIDAY , 01
NOVEMBER 2002
By RANI TIMOTI
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is reviewing its spray technique after a controversial start to its expanded painted apple moth aerial spray eradication campaign over west Auckland.
Officials want to improve deteriorating relations with the public after widespread discontent with the October 23 operation, which saw spraying carried out for about 11 hours.
Co-ordinators hailed the operation a success, making the most of low winds after earlier erratic weather postponed the start by several days.
But west Aucklanders inundated the ministry's information line with complaints when spraying continued for most of the day.
The Western Leader also received a large number of phone calls, e-mails and letters to the editor.
Most complaints involved the low-flying Fokker Friendship aircraft, which was compared to London's wartime blitz by many older residents.
Civil aviation rules allow the plane to fly at 45 metres.
Spray project general manager Robert Isbister agrees some aspects of the operation may need fine tuning.
Mr Isbister says the ministry hopes to have a more user-friendly system in place before the second round of spraying starts on November 11.
"It's the first time we've looked at spraying 8000 hectares," he says. "Operationally it went well but maybe there are things we can help with."
Among the complainants is a Titirangi family of five asthmatics.
The family is included on the ministry's medical register, but didn't know spraying would continue for so long.
"It's beyond a joke. It's not real. I feel like we've been attacked by our own Government," Glenn Lambert-Vickers says in a letter to Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Te Atatu MP and Conservation Minister Chris Carter says he will meet Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton following numerous calls from teachers and parents complaining that children were terrified by the low-flying plane and spray.
Mr Carter is concerned by a state of "near hysteria" at some schools and says he will also meet principals and the ministry's spray team.
But he stands by the Government's decision to spray and believes Foray 48B is safe.
"I understand that MAF has no choice but to spray. The apple moth is such a menace that the consequences of not doing so are worse than any problems that might arise from spraying."
Meanwhile anti-spray groups continue lobbying the Government to abandon the exercise.
Members of the West Aucklanders Against Aerial Spraying have held several protest pickets and are planning another demonstration at the Viaduct Basin entrance, from 11am, on November 9.
The people speak ... West Views, pages 2 & 4.
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