LETTERS: Spray has a crack at pests

Glyn Walters, if the surrounding landowners gave their consent you would not have been injuncted.
But what about the kids waiting for the school bus a hundred metres away from the wetlands - did they give their consent? And what about the surfers driving past to the beach to catch a wave and the dog owners walking their pets on the beach? And the shellfish collectors and the fishermen: did they give their consent for this poison, because it will end up on the beach? And the kids jumping in for a swim - what about them? And who's going to pay for the sickness when the wind picks up and dumps the spray on Kumeu or on the rooves of houses along Bethells Rd and from there into the water tanks on the first rain?
I will tell you who's going to pay: everybody. The parents with asthmatic kids, the elderly with weakened immune systems, the people still traumatised from crop dusters spraying en masse for a moth in residential areas. We, the people of New Zealand, have not forgotten that we are the collateral damage and we are still paying for the stupidity and lies we were told about that, and as long as I am alive I am never ever going to let you forget.
Private landowners may own the swamp on paper, but they don't own the air we all breathe nor do they own the insects, birds and frogs - the lives of the creatures that live within it. You don't know what is going to happen on any given day. You don't know that Mary's wedding might be happening that morning, you don't know that Penny's funeral is happening or Aunty's 21st, you don't know what other people are doing on that day.
Our right to a peaceful, undisturbed existence has been hijacked by poisonmongers who keep inventing a reason to get rid of a species or a plant they don't like.
Donna Bird
Beach Haven
I would like to know who the landowners are. I was at the 2006 community meeting about the proposed spray - thankfully, postponed then - and I believe that one of the landowners then worked for the council. Another landowner was a Forest and Bird man. I was told at the same meeting that this area was originally a lake. The area became wetlands after the Waitakere dams were built. A landowner said that he could kayak down his river in the 60's. Now, I am told that this area is becoming boggy because of the willows. I would suggest that the willows are there because the wetlands are drying out. If they want the water - why not release the water from the dams? Why kill aquatic life, and damage human health to try to undo a natural progression of wet to dry - caused by human intervention in the first place?
Jen
Waitakere
I am appalled that Waitakere City Council has approved the aerial spraying of Green Glyphosate over an enormous area of wetlands at Bethells in a week's time. No consultation has taken place and only 14 local residents have been notified with very little warning. The label on this herbicide states that it is "toxic to aquatic organisms and to avoid contamination of any water supply". As most are on tank water at Bethells this poses a problem. The surfactant to be used - Pulse Penetrant, also clearly states on its label "Do not contaminate waterways". After a very much smaller trial area was aerial sprayed last year a large amount of brown slime was photographed covering Bethells Beach and the river. There is no way of knowing what adverse effects this much larger amount of toxic chemicals will have on the marine ecosystem.
The spraying is all on private land, yet DOC has given a grant of $105,000 for three years. Why is public money being used to spray private land? And how many more sprays will be carried out over this time period?
The Council insists there will be no spray drift as spraying will be carried out only in perfect weather. Yet contractors have previously been observed aerial spraying at Bethells in very windy conditions. Will the Council pay residents' evacuation costs? Or compensate the local organic growers and beekeepers?
Helen Wiseman-Dare
New Lynn
The Waitakere City Council responds:
A joint operation between Waitakere City Council, Rodney District Council, Auckland Regional Council and the Department of Conservation to combat invasive crack willows will be conducted in the Te Henga wetlands in the near future.
Following highly successful trials, 23 hectares of willows in the Mokoroa Arm, the north-western part of Te Henga wetland, will be sprayed.
Previous spray trials have resulted in the willows showing signs of death within a month of spraying and the native plants below the willow canopy flourishing.
Water testing before, during and after the spraying showed no negative impacts on aquatic life or surrounding areas.
The crack willows are invasive and create a considerable flood risk, in addition to displacing native flora and fauna.
Until now the willows have been controlled using a drill and inject method which is not feasible in the densely overgrown Mokoroa Arm.
Waitakere City Council is currently liaising with the local community to identify the best date to conduct the operation and will be placing public notices and ads in the Bethells/Te Henga community closer to the time.
The operation will only be conducted in ideal weather conditions and locals who have requested being notified on the day will be contacted. The entire operation will be completed in under three hours.
By spraying on a windless day and using advanced spray equipment, which sprays directly onto the trees' canopies from a helicopter only a few metres above ensures no spray drifts outside the intended area.
The ARC will also monitor air quality during and immediately after the operation, water quality before and after, and flora and fauna after the operation.
All surrounding landowners have consented to the spraying.
Glyn Walters
Public Affairs Manager
Waitakere City Council