Council bans anti-spray protester for bad language

By CLAIRE TREVETT

A vocal anti-spray protester has copped a two-year ban from the Waitakere City Council building for abusing a health official.

Helen Wiseman-Dare was one of a small group protesting while Auckland Medical Officer of Health David Sinclair updated the council's environmental management committee on health issues from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's aerial spraying to wipe out the painted apple moth.

Ms Wiseman-Dare was asked to leave the building after yelling at Dr Sinclair as he walked past the protesters outside the meeting room.

Community constable Brendan Stewart of Henderson said her behaviour and language were "incompatible with a public place", especially because a group of schoolchildren was nearby.

"There is an appropriate way to raise concerns and swearing is not one of them," Mr Stewart said.

Ms Wiseman-Dare said the ban boded ill for other protest groups.

"It's an infringement of democratic rights to free speech and I doubt it could be legal. It's a public building."

She also scoffed at the reasons given for the notice, saying she had not seen the children.

"Shouting out 'arrogant arsehole' is hardly a nuisance. I don't even think it's a swear word."

She said she would probably appeal against the ban, but protests would go on with or without her there.

Waitakere City Council spokesman Wally Thomas said the council would consider lifting the ban if Ms Wiseman-Dare apologised and promised to behave in future.



It was the first instance of a trespass notice being served in about 10 years.

Ms Wiseman-Dare is chairwoman of West Aucklanders Against Aerial Spraying, which opposes the spraying of parts of Auckland.

In Dr Sinclair's briefing to the committee, he said Maf's health and support service had logged 3290 callers in its first 18 months.

A group of six people were thought by the service to have new asthma and independent medical reviews were completed on three of those. The results had not yet been released.

More than 1100 medical assessments had been done by PAM Health Services, the medical practice set up by Maf to advise residents whose health was affected by the Foray48B spray.

About 600 people were on support plans, which ranged from phone calls on spraying days and advice on how to avoid the residue, to moving people into motels. Their symptoms included respiratory problems, chronic fatigue, and allergic reactions to the components of the spray to short-term skin irritation.

Dr Sinclair said the programme had developed over time. Subsidies were now available for medical costs such as prescriptions given by the PAM service.

The Ministry of Health had also commissioned a review on the health issues relating to the programme from the Wellington School of Medicine, which was due to report in September.

A Health Advisory Group was established to advise Maf and the Ministry of Health on the monitoring process.