Aerial Spray News 8.3.03

WASP NEWS - THE BUZZ - WASP NEWS - THE BUZZ - WASP NEWS

A warm welcome to all the new spray sufferers who have joined us from the North Shore areas now being sprayed. I've had many calls from these areas. There appears to be a large increase in those suffering from severe skin rashes. We have heard that the spray formulation has recently been changed which might account for this. In response to a question asked in Parliament by Ian Ewen-Street (Green Party), Jim Sutton replied that 14,000 litres of this new formulation was used during the last aerial spray in February. People need to be very careful when gardening in particular - use gloves and make sure you are covered up. The spray residue on vegetation is causing many problems. You may also want to wear a spray mask (available from Mitre 10) to avoid breathing it in. The next aerial spray is scheduled for Monday 10 March. Don't forget to keep your pets inside and close all windows and air vents in your car.

IMPORTANT MEETING - WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THERE. Waitakere City Council Environmental Management Committee Meeting, 9.30 am, Tuesday 11 March, at the Waitakere City Council Chambers - upstairs in Council Building, Waipareira Ave, Lincoln. Max Wilde (Mgr of Field Services) will be providing an update on taking action to stop the spraying under the Health Act. It is very important that we have a large crowd there to continue to put the pressure on the Council to take action - bring placards. Take precautions if it is a spray day. Thanks to all those who have already written in - it's not too late to do so.

Have you written your letter to the Council yet ? In order to initiate the Legal Action to stop the spraying we all need to write to our City Council to ask them to abate the nuisance (the spraying in this case) under the Health Act. Just as if it was a smokey bonfire. It is the appropriate Council Officer's job to issue abatement notices. That is the first stage of taking action under the Health Act. If MAF refuses to abate the nuisance then the Council has to decide whether to go to the District Court. You need to detail how the spraying has affected your life. If you are able to get a letter from your doctor saying the spray has caused your health effects, send in a copy too. Addresses to write to: Max Wilde, Manager of Field Services, Waitakere City Council, Private Bag 93109, Henderson, Waitakere City or if you live in Auckland City: Geoff Atherfold, Team Leader, Compliance Monitoring, Auckland City Council, PB 92516, Wellesley St, Auckland or North Shore City: Alison Geddes, General Manager Environmental Issues, North Shore City Council, Private Bag 93500, Takapuna

You might also like to write to Bob Jessopp, Chairperson, Massey Community Board, jessopp@ihug.co.nz Ph: 833 7162. He thinks it is just a small group of people who are concerned about the spraying and says there are many more important things happening to people eg, "the 300 people in Auckland who die every year because of air pollution". He also thinks that after completion of the spraying if it is found that it didn't work, then alternatives should be found. Perhaps you could tell him exactly what you think of all this, particularly if you live in the Massey ward. He is after all your elected representative.

Propaganda Busting You may have seen MAF's latest full page propaganda advertisement in the local papers and Herald about "The good news" that the spray operation is going so well. Watch out for our version which will soon appear on the No Spray website. You may have heard that MAF are reducing the spray zone. In reality all this means is that they are cutting a few streets off the edges of the zone in a couple of suburbs BUT they are adding a whole new area in Ranui where they have found yet another infestation.

They have also been ground spraying another hot spot at the studios where they film Shortland St and Mercy Peak in Tolich Place, Henderson. Watch out for some sick doctors and nurses - perhaps everyone should write to the producer and ask her to make a feature of it in one of the programmes. She thinks the spray is nothing to be concerned about. Perhaps you could tell her how it's affected you. Write to: Karen McPherson, South Pacific Pictures, PO Box 104124, Lincoln.

Moths have also been found recently near West Harbour Marina and at Paremoremo. I predict an expansion of the spray zone northwards in the near future. After over a year of spraying moths are still being found in the Cemetery and other areas.

Are you fed up with all those ridiculously blatant propaganda ads on radio and TV? Complain to the Advertising Standards Complaints Board, PO Box 10-675, Wellington. Ph: 04 472 7852, Fax: 04 471 1785, Email: asa@asa.co.nz

Re health effects from the spraying - one of the evacuees was told by one of the MAF doctors in December last year that 4,000 were being evacuated to motels overnight. Compare this with the low numbers quoted by MAF in their propaganda ads.

Phone Aer Aqua on 358 3206, and demand to be evacuated. They are trying to cut costs by denying relocation to those currently being evacuated. Tell them that just one of MAF's full page propaganda ads in the Herald would pay for more than 200 people to be evacuated for one night. This is how much they cost: In a week day Herald: $ 20,930.40 + GST. In Saturday's Herald: $ 23,873.40 + GST Just imagine what those TV ads cost. Now you know what the $90 million is being spent on.

Health Report For those of you who missed the recent public meeting in New Lynn where Hana Blackmore's Report on health effects from the aerial spray programme was publicly released - you can download a copy from the No Spray website. Hana has compiled her excellent report from all the Health and Incident reporting forms you have sent in. It details all the adverse health effects being suffered by the community from the spraying. She is still collecting reports of health effects (in both people and animals) so to have your health effects counted (rather than just swept under the carpet by MAF) download a Health Reporting form from the No Spray Website and post it in. Print out some copies to give to all those you come across also suffering health effects.

To all those who have been hospitalised with spray related health effects - we would like to take a moment to think of you, in particular - Sue who is ill in hospital with liver failure and Ron who recently had a heart attack plus all those hospitalised with severe respiratory, skin and eye problems. Also Bill who has been having tests because of his worsened health effects. I know there are many others - contact me if you would like to be listed here.

TASK Petition (Teachers Against Spraying Kids) If you have been collecting signatures for this petition to the Minister of Education, you need to send them in asap (to the address at the bottom of the petition) as the first batch is to be presented to Trevor Mallard this week. Help is still needed as signatures are continuing to be gathered. The petition is for anyone who has concerns, not just teachers. You can download the Petition from the No Spray website: http://www.geocities.com/no_spray/

Magazines featuring the Aerial Spraying This month's Metro has a lengthy, indepth article on the spraying with a great photo of Bill - one of our old campaigners, draped in placards - he hasn't missed a single protest (starting with our first protest march in December 2001 to David Cunliffe's electoral office). Also the latest Healthy Options magazine has several articles and one of my letters about alternatives to spraying. Plus another photo of Bill !

Have you told Helen Clark lately that you are thinking of her? Next spray day when you get up at 4.00 am to evacuate or to phone the Hotline to see if they're spraying today, give Helen a ring too. Leave her a message asking her to come and stand in the school playgrounds with the children being sprayed. It's time she showed some solidarity with those she has sentenced to be sprayed for the next 3 years. Phone: 638 8055, and don't forget to tell her that AERIAL SPRAYING EQUALS NO LABOUR VOTE. I note she is also looking for a new electorate secretary (I wonder why). You can phone 846 3117 to apply.

Protect New Zealanders - The sooner we get aerial spraying stopped the better.

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