Last spray day - last chance to listen

The last scheduled aerial spray day in the summer Painted Apple Moth campaign was today welcomed by Green Party MP Ian Ewen-Street, by repeating his call for the Biosecurity Minister to meet the poisoned population face to face.

"I feel a great sense of relief for the poor West Aucklanders who have been bombarded with the toxic chemical cocktail, Foray 48B," Mr Ewen-Street said.

"The least the Minister, Jim Sutton, could do is meet them face to face to listen to their concerns about ongoing health effects they expect to suffer from exposure to this insecticide.

"It is particularly incumbent on the Government to face up to West Aucklanders, given the recent revelation by spray campaigners that Foray 48B contains such toxic concoctions as hydrochloric acid and propylene glycol (a chemical commonly found in antifreeze, and brake and hydraulic fluids).

"If the Minister does front up to the unwilling victims of the spray campaign, it would be important that he doesn't just address a public meeting or talk at them," Mr Ewen-Street said.

"A sympathetic listening role from the Minister would be of considerable cathartic value to West Aucklanders whose lives have been considerably disrupted by the spray programme."

Mr Ewen-Street said he would watch with interest Cabinet's consideration, scheduled for May 26, of the winter Painted Apple Moth eradication programme.

"I hope they choose to learn from the Painted Apple Moth incursion, and institute 100 per cent inspection of shipping containers. The current practice of inspecting only 24 per cent of imported containers gives unwanted pests an easy avenue of entry," Mr Ewen-Street said.

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