The council says it's reducing the amount of spray on parks and roadsides. After years of chemical spraying - including the infamous painted apple moth campaign - many Waitakere residents are wary. Valerie Schuler finds out how the eco-city stacks up
Most people look forward to spring and the promise of
new beginnings.
But for Waitakere resident Rosemary Bonda, it's a season filled with dread and anxiety.
Rashes, migraines, boils, vomiting and diarrhoea. These are just some of the things Rosemary and her four children can expect in the coming months.
She says they are all caused by chemical spraying used for weed and pest control, courtesy of Waitakere City Council.
``I used to live next to an orchard and I thought that's where the chemicals came from,' says the Caton Rd resident.
``But then I realised it's the council that does a lot of the spraying on roadsides and parks.'
The safest bet for the Bondas is to stay indoors. ``But we can't do that, life has to continue.'
The family has moved 15 times in the last 10 years in efforts to escape the harmful effects of the sprays.
``At one stage, we moved out of Auckland. But it's our home,' says Ms Bonda. ``Why should I have to keep moving? I live in an `eco-city'.'
Many Waitakere residents are still sore at the Government over the aerial spraying to kill the painted apple moth, which ended in 2004.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry spent 2 years spraying Foray 48B over large areas of urban Auckland to wipe out the moth, considered a major biosecurity threat.
Over the years, a number of groups have lobbied, marched down streets and written to the council to complain about its spraying practices.
And, at last, there's a response the Agrichemical Reduction Policy. Pledges include a pesticide-free park, lower-maintenance grass on sports fields and fewer toxic chemicals.
Ms Bonda and others are pleased something is finally happening, but some say it's ``too little, too late'. Ellen Larsen, of the Toxin Awareness Group, was in a working party set up by the council in 2001 to address spray-related problems.
``We spent 15 months up at council discussing the issues and never heard a single word back,' says the Titirangi Rd resident. ``Even then, meetings were badly run and it all seemed like lip service.'
Helen Wiseman-Dare, from West Aucklanders Against Aerial Spraying, agrees. ``It's taken [council] seven years to come up with a document, which will take years to implement. People need relief now, not in 10 years' time.'
She says Waitakere has some of the worst spraying practices in the country. ``As a green city with a good number of international environmental awards under its belt, Waitakere's record of chemical usage is shameful. They should lead by example and use organic alternatives.'
Public affairs manager Sonya Leahy says the council tested organic chemicals, but doesn't use them because ``they were found to be less effective'. There is a ``No Spray' register for people who don't want chemicals used near their property.
Other methods, such as steam or the manual pulling of weeds, are deemed too expensive. ``It was decided that council could not justify the added cost of these alternative methods,' says Mrs Leahy.
Yet other Auckland councils use them. North Shore City has used steam and manual removal methods for the last two years. Auckland City uses 95 per cent organic products and has done so since the 1990s. ``I really don't see why Waitakere is so far behind the eight-ball,' says Mrs Wiseman-Dare.
The council says it's reducing the amount of spray on parks and roadsides. After years of chemical spraying - including the infamous painted apple moth campaign - many Waitakere residents are wary. Valerie Schuler finds out how the eco-city stacks up
Most people look forward to spring and the promise of
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