Sprays ‘napalming’ sand dunes

Tauranga City Council will continue using agri-chemical sprays on the oceanbeach sand dunes under the dunes restoration policy, the city vision committee has decided.

Confirmation the programme will continue came as the committee adopted a review of the use of toxic agrichemicals for vegetation control.

Tauranga City Councillor Clayton Mitchell. Photo: File.

Critics of the dune spraying programme say the spray used to kill off weeds overwhelming the dunes also kills off the bird and insect life.

Councillor Clayton Mitchel is the only councillor to vote against the policy describing it as a way of 'napalming the dunes” – killing off the birds and butterflies as well as the unwanted ice plants and others.

Council parks coordinator Josh Trafford says the dune spraying programme is 50 per cent complete.

Mayor Stuart Crosby suggests showing people the end product, after the new growth has come through.

The restored native plants have been shown elsewhere to provide better protection against wash-outs by storm surges, and this is now evident.

'After the last storm there is very clear evidence that this dune planting prevented a substantial wash-out,” says Stuart.

Killing off introduced plants using poison spray is reckoned the most cost effective way of removing the accumulation of exotic plants along the foredunes, says Josh.

The committee adopted the approved policy with little other comment.

In broad brush terms the review finds the current policy fit for purpose, and that issues raised are able to be sorted through a range of operational improvements.

These include a monitoring and reporting framework being developed, proactive communication with the Toxic Agrichemical Advisory Forum.

It also recommends a review of the relationship with TAAF, which is a collection of people who advise the council on agrichemical issues.

Council staff want to review the role of TAAF and the staff report expresses concerns that TAAF doesn't provide a balanced advisory group and is not science-based, and that it doesn't have in-house scientific expertise to assess chemicals and so must rely on government regulation and assessment.

The review is a reaction to public concerns that the policy's primary goal of protecting public health is not met, nor are the principles of proactive reduction in use of agrichemicals, prudent avoidance, and preference of non-chemical vegetation control.

The public is also concerned at a lack of scientific literacy among council staff that are making the recommendations to council, but the greatest concern is over the continuing use of glyphosate / RoundUp.

The NZ First candidate for Tauranga has a similar view as former NZ First and now NZ Independent Coalition candidate Brendan Horan, who condemns the use of council's sprays on dunes.

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5 comments

Overit

Posted on 13-08-2014 18:58 | By overit

Aaaaagh!


since

Posted on 13-08-2014 19:13 | By Capt_Kaveman

when is bark a native of the dunes, this should be done by hand with some of the human power coming from winz


TAAF not science-based???

Posted on 14-08-2014 17:31 | By ronillian

The staff do not seem to understand that they do not NEED "in house" scientific expertise. That has already been provided by numerous credible independent researchers all around the world through scores of good studies on the toxic chemicals that the staff relies on to control weeds. Unfortunately it seems that staff rely prefer to entirely on industry-funded science and are not prepared to look at the public health damage being done by those chemicals. They seem intent on getting rid of weeds but disregard the proven effects: cancers, birth defects, environment damage that good independent science shows result from their use.


Well Mr Mitchell,

Posted on 14-08-2014 18:03 | By Sambo Returns

you are a Tauranga City Councilor,so do something about it, or are you "electioneering" for the other position.


Hmmmmm

Posted on 14-08-2014 23:16 | By GreertonBoy

Napalm was a terrible concoction which was used in a war to exterminate human beings. I find it offensive on their behalf that you liken chemical weed control to Napalm, which was responsible for the death and disfigurement of all who it came in contact with... these people were drenched in burning Napalm which was eventually banned from use because of its toxicity and the devastation it caused. Vietnam is still suffering from its effects and I think it is disgusting that you appear to make light of the name.


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