1080 drop proposed for Kauaeranga Valley
Date: 06 August 2008
The Peninsula Project is planning an aerial 1080 drop as part of its animal pest control project for the 2008/09 financial year.
The aerial 1080 drop is planned over approximately 13,000 hectares in the upper catchments of the Kauaeranga Valley through to Te Puru. It includes a mixture of Department of Conservation (DOC) administered and private land.
There will be minimal disruption for most visitors to the Kauaeranga Valley with minor delays to accessing walking tracks, camping grounds and the Pinnacles Hut to be expected somewhere between 11 August - 26 September. As the aerial operation is conducted in two stages; a pre-feed of non-toxic pellets, followed by a toxic drop 5 -10 days later these delays will occur twice.
1080 pellets
Peninsula Project DOC spokesperson Fin Buchanan said "the operation was successfully undertaken in 2005 and this proposal is very similar to the first". He further noted that "consultation with the community has shown support for the plans".
Schools are being advised not to make camp bookings between 11 August - 26 September 2008, and all other hut and campground bookings are being made as tentative bookings only.
People with bookings are being instructed to check with DOC a week before they visit the Kauaeranga to see if any restrictions will be in place for the operation, with the onus being on the public to check with DOC before they travel to the Kauaeranga.
General reminders about aerial 1080 drops are also being issued by the Peninsula Project. These include advising the public that people should not handle bait or allow children or dogs to wander unsupervised in a treated area, and due to the risk of secondary poisoning animals should not be taken for consumption from the controlled area.
The Peninsula Project is a multi-agency partnership made up of DOC, Environment Waikato, Hauraki Maori Trust Board and Thames-Coromandel District Council created to improve the environment and reduce flood risks affecting communities on the Coromandel Peninsula, following the weather bomb of June 2002. Key work areas of the Peninsula Project include river and catchment management, flood protection works, and animal pest control.
back to top