Call for audit of ORC rabbit management

I WAS appalled at the disingenuous response by the Otago Regional Council chairman Stephen Woodhead to a letter (ODT, 14.2.19) from Anne Marie Parsons.

Woodhead states ‘‘it’s still up to landowners to undertake primary and secondary pest control such as shooting, trapping and poisoning rabbits on their own land’’.

That is correct, but he fails to even mention the vast area of river banks and the associated publicly owned Queens Chain land, Doc land, Land Information NZ responsibilities, local council land, public reserves, occupied and unoccupied Crown land, road reserves — all are major contributors to the rabbit plague of almost biblical proportion in many areas.

The ORC, in its water plan, requires streams to be fenced. That ungrazed vegetation between the fence and stream now provides cover and habitat for rabbits, making night shooting kills difficult. Shooting in these tinder dry conditions also risks starting fires from ricochet or exhaust discharge.

There needs to be an independent audit of the ORC’s rabbit management, or rather the complete lack of it, especially as it relates to public lands. Gerrard Eckhoff

Alexandra

Teacher shortage

IN response to Mr Schakelaar (ODT,

9.2.19). The minister is indeed to blame for the lack of superbly trained teachers, and yes, he has been in government for 18 months. I refer to the thousands of already trained teachers who are out of teaching. Reasons are many and varied, from taking time out to raise a family, moving on to a career which is rewarded more both in conditions and pay to moving overseas or simply being unable to retrain, which can be a costly business.

I refer to the 60,000 new citizens because they have come into this country and are overburdening our infrastructure. We are simply not prepared for the onslaught. Because of this huge population growth we do not have the schools, medical care, housing to cope with these people.

Margie Stevens

Lawrence