Concerns raised about 1080 drop
Lawrence residents are concerned that a decision to drop 1080 poison on a Clutha District forestry block had been ‘‘done behind closed doors’’.
The issue came up at a Lawrence-Tuapeka Community Board meeting on Wednesday in relation to an information session to be held at Lawrence yesterday about an upcoming bovine tuberculosis-TB control programme in the area.
This was to be hosted by Ospri, the company undertaking planned aerial possum control operations at Mt Allan, Berwick and Glendhu, in a forested area between Waihola and Dunedin.
At the community board meeting, member Garry McCorkindale expressed surprise that the board had not been informed of the proposed sodium fluoroacetate1080 drops, or about the information session.
Members Rochelle Langley and Liz Forbes passed on feedback from the wider community that the decision was contentious because people felt it had been ‘‘done behind closed doors’’.
Concerns included proximity of 1080 drops to towns and waterways, along with potential danger to dogs from bait.
Clutha District group manager corporate services Jules Witt said to his knowledge, there had been other occasions when the community board had not been notified of poisoning operations.
Normally, the council would hear from the contractor, if there were exclusions zones, such as waterways, he said.
Ospri hosted information evenings in Outram and Lawrence in early March for those interested in learning more about the 2016 Otago bovine TB control programme.
Ospri southern South Island programme manager Brent Rohloff said it was clear from those sessions that while some people were satisfied with the answers they received, others were clearly unhappy.
The outcome of yesterday’s meeting might have some impact on how the company goes about some aspects of the operation, he said.