By AINSLEY THOMSON
Parts of the North Shore were yesterday included for the first time in the aerial operation to wipe out the painted apple moth.
The suburbs of Beach Haven and Greenhithe were included after an infestation was found in Hobsonville before Christmas.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has
added hundreds more hectares for each new round of its $90 million spraying campaign as new infestations continue to be found.
But the general manager of the painted apple moth operation, Robert Isbister, said confidence was growing that the moth would be eradicated.
The painted apple moth, an Australian native, is estimated to be a $50 million to $350 million threat to forestry and horticulture.
In the past week, only four male moths have been found in the 1250 traps around the Auckland area. This time last year 700 moths were being trapped a week.
The chairman of the painted apple moth community advisory group, Kubi Witten-Hannah, said the spraying was working, but he was concerned that as soon as it stopped the numbers of moths would build up again.
"What they are doing is quite short term. They are not planning for the future."
Mr Witten-Hannah said health problems suffered by about 5 per cent of people living in the spray zone were not being addressed.
Opposition to the spraying also continues to mount among concerned residents.
Rachel Wapenaar, from Spray Free Coalition, said she had received emails from people on the North Shore who were worried about the effect of the spray on their health.
"They [MAF] keep increasing the spray zones. They say they are on top of it, but it doesn't look like it."
Spraying started at 5.50am yesterday and was called off just after 1pm. It will continue today, weather permitting. The next round is scheduled for January 28.
Herald feature: Environment
