PR blitz on moth spraying

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Officials made a belated move yesterday to soothe health concerns about blanket spraying over West Auckland to eradicate the painted apple moth.

The director of the $90 million project to eradicate the moth, Ian Gear, told Waitakere and North Shore City councillors that a panel of experts would review health services for people affected by aerial spraying of the chemical Btk.

Several other health measures were announced at the meeting, which came 10 days after lawyer Sir Geoffrey Palmer suggested the councils had a good chance of halting the spraying by court action.

Sir Geoffrey said research into health risks may well demonstrate that the aerial blitz was "scientific experimentation" - without the consent of residents affected.

Nine aerial sprays took place over 900ha of Waitakere up until last September. Since then, six sprays were made over an expanded area of up to 10,000ha including western parts of Auckland City and North Shore City.

The seventh expanded spray is scheduled for Sunday.

Waitakere City Council is investigating whether it needs to use the Health Act to halt spraying because of its obligation to protect and represent its citizens.

Mr Gear said no one in MAF or the Ministry of Health had trivialised health effects as anti-spray lobbyists had alleged.



Waitakere councillor Penny Hulse is pushing for people who suffer spray reactions to be treated free by their own doctor, naturopath, or practice nurse.

But Mr Gear said if people believed they had been affected by the spray they could go to their GP for assessment at their own cost, and if the GP agreed, the ministry would pick up their subsequent treatment costs.

Mr Gear said the project's medical advisers at the five official clinics erred on the side of caution in their assessments by referring people to specialists where needed.

These costs were covered, including taxi fares to appointments.

Although 10 per cent of the project's budget had been put aside for health matters, Mr Gear said the ministry did not have a blank cheque.

It was difficult to bring in a blanket medical payment policy because it would be open to abuse by people who had existing conditions.

Mr Gear announced that MAF would provide a health services liaison officer to work with local doctors and a new health advisory group would be set up. It would include specialists in biostatistics, public health and toxicology. Government agencies and health providers would also be represented.



He said the Health Ministry would hire public health specialists to review a report by Dr Meriel Watts which criticised its assessment of the risks. She wrote the report for the Stop Aerial Spraying group after the legal opinion from Sir Geoffrey.

Mr Gear said he was arranging to bring an authority on Btk spray products from the United States.

Dr Andrew Raith would meet Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey privately to reassure him of the requirements that the spray had to meet before it could be registered for aerial use.

But Mr Gear said there would be no change in the policy of secrecy over contents of the spray. The manufacturer had $1 billion a year in sales at stake and did not want to tip off rivals.

Mr Gear said MAF offered to relocate 235 people during each spraying operation, but only 10 of them could be described as severely affected by it.

But the Stop Aerial Spraying Group told the Herald that 315 people had reported health problems because of spraying.

The North Shore City Council's environment committee took no action at its meeting yesterday on a suggestion from Waitakere that it join in seeking legal advice on whether to take court action.

North Shore has been treating spraying as a matter for the Government.

But the council will start recording the number of inquiries and complaints from citizens about spraying.

Herald feature: Environment