The Government has quietly injected $12 million into a controversial aerial insecticide operation, effectively doubling its budget and increasing the target zone by half as much again.
About 1000 West Auckland households are now included in the aerial target zone for the first time. They are near Avondale Racecourse,Henderson Creek and the top of the Whau estuary bordering New Lynn. Other spots the helicopter and light plane will now target are the Waitakere transfer station and parts of Swanson.
Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton last week announced a "slightly expanded" aerial operation but he didn't reveal the cash boost or the size of the expansion.
Earlier, the Government had said it would not make a final decision on the future of the eradication programme until next month, effectively shelving the issue until after the election.
The six-month campaign has come under fire from local residents fed up with being aerial sprayed and conservationists worried that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has botched the eradication attempt.
Chairman of the group of community representatives appointed by Maf to air community concerns over the spraying, Kubi Witten-Hannah, said he was disappointed but not surprised the group wasn't told about the changes.
The total budget for the programme is now $23 million, more than double the $11 million given to Maf when the campaign began early this year.
The new spray zone is now up to 900ha, a 300ha increase.
