EW cuts put pest work at risk: critics

BRUCE MERCER/Waikato Times

ANDRA NEELEY: Pest control work a victim.

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Waikato environmental groups and the Green Party say years of conservation work will be undone if the regional council cuts back on pest control programmes.

Under its draft long-term council community plan, Environment Waikato is proposing to defer pest control work across 131,000 hectares, scheduled for 2009 and 2010, in an effort to keep rates increases to a minimum. Overall spending on pest control and biodiversity work would be reduced by $1 million, compared to 2008-09 spending. Much of the work tagged for deferral is possum control.

But a halt to the pest control work has been described as a "kick in the guts" by Moehau Environment Group co-ordinator Jonty Rutherford. Mr Rutherford said there were three "key ecological sites" in the northern tip of Coromandel which EW had done extensive rat and possum control work on over several years ago "to great effect" .

But pest control there was deferred last year, and was unlikely to start again in the foreseeable future under the EW plan.

"It's disappointing to see an area with such high ecological value going backwards," Mr Rutherford said.

He stressed his group had a "fantastic working relationship" with EW, but said there were concerns years of work would be negated if pest control did not continue.

"We may have to put some projects on hold, and we're already looking at other funding options. This is a kick in the guts, because our input, through (volunteer) labour is massive. We feel it would make sense to ratchet up gains made in the past."

Te Akau farmer Alastair Reeves, who has been involved in possum control in west Waikato for more than a decade, likened pest control deferral to "building a stadium, but not putting the seats in".

A halt to pest control work would result in a quick infestation of the pests in areas in west Waikato, he said.

Green Party conservation spokeswoman Metiria Turei said EW was not the only regional council cutting back on pest control. It was "irresponsible" for EW to abrogate its responsibilities for protecting the region's biodiversity values, "particularly when local groups do that work", she said.

EW councillor Andra Neeley said deferral of pest control work meant it was "a victim of percentage-driven decision making".

"The council will not achieve outcomes it is charged with, namely improving water quality, ensuring healthy stable soils, improving degraded air quality, and arresting declining biodiversity within the region."

Fellow EW councillor Paula Southgate said if pest control work was continually deferred, "you're effectively not doing it". Submissions on the council's plan close on Monday, April 20 at 4pm.

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