Who is taking care of the pests?
After years of seeing no action from Environment Southland on pest control, mainly rabbits in the Otatara area, I withheld a small portion of my Bio Security Pest Control Rate.
Environment Southland responded with a letter telling me that I appeared to be under the mistaken impression that they undertake pest control.
This has not been the case for many years. It is well over 20 years since the Rabbit Board was disbanded.
It was suggested that I contact Dave Burgess, from Biosecurity, and said to him that looking at my rate demand it appeared that pest control was a targeted rate and as such there would be an obligation from Environment Southland to spend that money in this area.
I was told that the nature of Otatara with hedges, sheds etc made it difficult for rabbit control to be carried out and as such it was the responsibility of the landowner.
The question arises that if Environment Southland finds Pest Control to difficult or have just have washed their hands of it – why are we being charged for a service that landowners are carrying out for themselves at their own cost.
The service that Environment Southland provide is advice and information to landowners and referral to the appropriate contractors if required.
In my opinion there is a sizeable rating base in Otatara that is being charged for a service that is not being provided. Advice on pest control is not pest control.
Tim Mulligan
Environment Southland director of operations, Jonathan Streat replies:
Our biosecurity rate applies to all Southland ratepayers. It is targeted depending on whether you live in an urban or rural location. The rate is used in our work to lead the management of pest plants and pest animals that can have a serious impact on Southland’s biodiversity and economy. We offer advice and information on an extensive range of pests, including those that are already present in the region and others which pose a potential threat, such as rooks and wallabies.
The biosecurity rate is not used for the purpose of carrying out pest control on every individual property in the region, as this would be costprohibitive. Rather, we initiate and manage programmes that benefit Southlanders collectively (e.g. the Fiordland pathways plan to keep marine pest out), and we provide support to landowners to help them meet their responsibilities under the Southland Regional Pest Management Strategy (e.g. our possum control area programme to keep possum numbers low).