Moth spray blitz over West Auckland begins

By ANNE BESTON

Biosecurity authorities face a battle on two fronts as a last-ditch, multi-aircraft bid to wipe out an Aussie pest finally gets under way.

A light plane, helicopter and Fokker Friendship aircraft took off from Whenuapai Airbase at first light yesterday, loaded with insecticide for a blitz over 8000ha of West Auckland to wipe out the painted apple moth.

The launch of this expanded campaign, which has a price tag of $90 million and includes more than 160,000 people in the target zone, was grounded for 10 days by bad weather.

But now that it has started the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has an on-going public relations battle on its hands.

"While it's been a brilliant day and the operation went like clockwork, we certainly recognise that it's an intrusion and depends on people's goodwill," said general manager Robert Isbister.

While the small plane and helicopter did most of their work around the margins of the upper Waitemata Harbour, the 25m Fokker was an extraordinary sight as it swooped low over the rooftops, climbing dramatically at the end of each spray run as ordered by the Civil Aviation Authority.

The spray could be felt a few minutes later, falling like light drops of sticky rain on cars, shopping centres and gardens. Like most West Aucklanders, 77-year-old Te Atatu resident Sheila Parnell was just getting on with her day.

"I've been in the spray zone from the beginning," she said. "I don't know anyone who's been affected and obviously they have to get rid of the darn moth."

Shop manager Meralyn Hare was not so sure. "There seem to be these people with lots of different ailments. To me (MAF) hasn't really considered the long-term effects."

While more than 80 people were evacuated by MAF each time the aerial spraying took place, Titirangi graphic artist Matthew Baker said that wasn't possible for him and his 78-year-old mother, who was gravely ill.

"I just think it's unacceptable for them to be flying that low - the house is rattling," he said.

The Fokker is permitted to fly at a height of 45m.

MAF's painted apple moth hotline was swamped with calls by early afternoon with people questioning why the plane was flying so low.

The Waitakere City Council was also inundated with calls and the council is planning a meeting in the next few days with MAF officials.

Council environment committee chairwoman Penny Hulse hinted that a change in the health service offered by MAF was fast becoming a bottom line.

"Subsidised GP visits would be a hell of a lot more effective than the current programme," she said.

The health service has long been a source of conflict between the council and MAF, with the ministry sticking to its decision to provide a team of health professionals rather than pay for people to see their own doctor.

Spray campaign operations manager Ian Gear said he would meet the council tomorrow, along with a leading medical professional.

"We will talk through some of the issues but there is a very extensive health service behind this programme," he said.

Chairman of the MAF-appointed community advisory group and a Henderson High School teacher, Kubi Witten-Hannah, said some students elected to say indoors most of the day after the early morning spraying.

But student reaction varied from excitement at the low-flying plane to nervousness about the spray's effects, he said.

The next spray round is due in two to three weeks.

Painted apple moth, a member of the voracious tussock moth family, was discovered in Glendene in 1999.

A decision not to aerial spray immediately has allowed the moth to spread throughout West Auckland, threatening forestry, horticulture and possibly some native forest in the Waitakere Ranges.

Further reading
nzherald.co.nz/environment