This site records material from the 2006 New Zealand People’s Inquiry into the Impacts and Effects of Aerial Spraying Pesticide over Urban Areas of Auckland. There were over 70 flights releasing the Btk pesticide over 200,000 citizens in West Auckland with the aim of “getting rid of” the invasive Australian Painted Apple Moth.
The hearings were held in March 2006 in the New Zealand Eco-city Waitakere City Council chambers thanks to the support of the then Mayor Bob Harvey, and the Councillors.
Four commissioners sat for a week hearing the testimony of over 100 people from all walks of life, who described the health, medical, social and economic impacts of the government aerial spraying campaign. A year after the hearings the Commissioners published their comprehensive Report and Recommendations.
The Report and Recommendations was presented to the Government, but was ignored and dismissed. Shortly after publication another report into the aerial spraying was published. The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s Report was on his four year investigation of the three aerial spraying campaigns conducted over East Auckland in 1996/97, west Auckland 2002-2004, and Hamilton City in 2003. the Government also refused to implement his recommendations.
Yet such an extensive urban aerial spraying campaign has not been repeated, despite there having been further incursions of the Painted Apple Moth.
Perhaps they did listen to the Peoples Inquiry after all?
