1080 'war' turns nasty

Thames-based Conservation Department staff have been physically and verbally abused and threatened by anti-1080 campaigners as the "war" over the controversial poison turns personal.

A DOC manager was this week targeted by vitriolic comments on Trade Me message boards. The messages were removed yesterday.

The comments, entitled "Coromandel DOC area manager leaving" and punctuated with a "thumbs up" icon, were made by several Coromandel-based posters and amount to a "good riddance" send-off for long-serving DOC manager John Gaukrodger.

They come as tensions between anti-1080 protesters and DOC mount on the peninsula and at other conservation hotspots around the country over the use of the poison to control possums and other pests.

Mr Gaukrodger spent 14 years with DOC in the Coromandel, but this month took up a new post in the King Country.

The comments in the thread accuse Mr Gaukrodger of being "incompetent" and "representing the discredited DOC management system". Thames Coast writer Graeme "sturg4" Sturgeon, described Mr Gaukrodger as having caused damage "with his blatant arrogance, stupidity and stubbornness in his latter years".

In another thread, entitled "DOC complaining about new mining yet", Mr Sturgeon wrote: "Old Gaukrodger had his day up here, no one gives a damn about him or his opinions nowadays, not even DOC." Greg Martin, DOC's Waikato conservator, said Mr Gaukrodger had previously been assaulted by an anti-1080 campaigner, and added: "Our staff have been accosted in the street – verbal abuse, a bit of pushing and shoving."

Mr Martin was aware of the Trade Me threads and the comments about Mr Gaukrodger, describing them as "disappointing and pretty distasteful". Mr Sturgeon, who led an anti-1080 protest last year, stood by his comments. Internet chat was part of the ongoing "battle" over the use of the poison in the Coromandel. He said Mr Gaukrodger "deserves" to be attacked. "He has caused us a lot of trouble." DOC and Forest and Bird had themselves attacked anti-1080 groups on the internet, he said. "1080 is war to us, and there will be no holds barred. The war will be won."

But he went on to say: "We're a peaceful bunch up here. But tempers do get frayed."

Whitianga businessman Duncan Farmer confirmed he had posted the comment about Mr Gaukrodger "representing the discredited Doc management system". "I certainly regret nothing. We have a Conservation Department slaughtering wildlife like you wouldn't believe ... (with) no idea of the damage they're doing. I don't have a personal problem with (Mr Gaukrodger), but I have a problem with the way DOC is carrying on. They are not listening to the community."

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