Beck to make complaint over TVNZ's 1080 allegations

Beck Helicopters is taking action over allegations it broke the rules during last month's 1080 drop in Egmont National Park.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has cleared the company of any fault during the 1080 drop, owner Alan Beck said yesterday.

Mr Beck is complaining to the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) about a One News lead story featuring allegations helicopters flew outside permitted areas and dropped pellets on Department of Conservation contractors without warning.

He is also planning to sue Julie Martul, who gave video footage to One News and to the CAA with an accompanying complaint, for defamation.

The footage appeared to show a helicopter turning around over her house, about 80m outside the park boundary.

Mr Beck said he had been told there would be no further investigation of her allegations by the CAA after electronic flight path evidence had been looked at.

Mr Beck said the One News story on March 7 about the drop was scurrilous, sensationalist and incorrect.

"They have really pushed the boundaries. It was sheer sensationalism with the wrong facts," he said.

"In fact during the film sequence, the helicopter shut off the spreading of bait 498 metres from the boundary, and the turn, presented in the footage as being over the house, was in fact some 200 metres inside the boundary.

"The reporter was shown digital tracking of the flight paths by Department of Conservation staff, but ignored the evidence and sensationalised the report, with no attempt to talk to me," Mr Beck said.

TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards said the company had not yet received a complaint and if it did it would go through its normal complaints procedure.

She said TVNZ would not comment on the issue while the complaint process was being carried out.

The Aviation Industry Association is handling both the BSA complaint and the defamation suit on Mr Beck's behalf.

Mrs Martul told the Taranaki Daily News last night she never had any intention of taking things further but had given the CAA the footage because she wanted to know what they thought about it.

She remained convinced the helicopter had flown above her house.

But Mr Beck said far from being a botched job, the 1080 drop was one of the tightest controlled drops on record and there had not been one flight outside the national park boundaries.

"It was a perfect operation and I think you will find the results will be spectacular."

- © Fairfax NZ News