1080 Poison Drop
Greater Wellington Regional council has approached us and our neighbours regarding the 1080 drop and Brodifacoum Poisoning
We are based on Karapoti Road but overlook the Akatarawa River. Turns out that we, and our 4 neighbours, are going to be very close to the 1080 drop.
We are concerned as we back right onto the Greater Wellington Regional Council land (at our back fence) as do another 3 of our neighbours. The 1080 will be dropped with a 50m buffer from our boundary.
We have a water catchment system that supplies water from our property, but the catchment starts on the council land above our property. This services water for us and 2 of our other neighbour's if there is a water shortage, waters stock and greenhouse etc. We all have dogs and 3 of the other neighbour's have cats. We and 2 of the other neighbour's have sheep.
We asked the council if they would drop the 1080 onto the other side of the ridge so our water catchment system wasn't compromised and other creeks feeding from council land to private land wouldn’t be affected.
They agreed to work with us and came up with a solution to bait traps. I thought this would be a good idea so they could get an idea of how many possums they were dealing with in our area and that if not a lot were caught they may consider a bigger buffer up on the hill above our land and drop the 1080 further back.
Turns out it is Brodifacoum bait stations - NOT TRAPS, that would kill so they could take a tally of how many caught and remove carcasses - NOT at all what I was expecting!! These stations are filled with bait that the possums have access to and then go away to die. This Brodifacoum bait can remain in animal livers and may present a danger for other species through both secondary and tertiary poisoning. The half-life of brodifacoum in possum livers is about 36 weeks (9 months)!!!
The time lag between the possum eating a lethal dose of the bait and onset of symptoms is usually several days. So how long is it going to take them to DIE?? How far can they travel in this time?? Article I read said: “travelling up to 2km a night”
Also Livestock: (sheep in particular for us, but also concerns cattle) It says livestock exposed to brodifacoum should not be sent to slaughter or sold. Research has shown that anticoagulant toxins stay in the body for many months, if not years. If death occurs in sheep or cattle, the entire flock or herd should be withheld for 9 months.
Feral Game: landowners and hunters are advised not to sell feral animals, or animals intended for consumption, taken from the operational area within nine months after termination of poisoning OR within 2km (5k for feral pigs) of a poisoning operation boundary
This Brodifacoum is not soluble in water and binds strongly to soils. It will degrade slowly in soils with PH5.3 to pH8 (who knows what we’ve got)?
So the outcome is we. and 3 of our neighbours. have withdrawn our acceptance for the council to set the brodifacoum traps unfortunately 1 neighbour had already agreed and the traps have already been set at their place.
We would still like to see the 1080 drop start at the other side of the ridge above us and hope we can work with the council on this but last email we received stated:
As per my earlier e-mail “Our current boundary allows for a 50 m buffer within the forest along pasture margins, however we could consider a buffer up to 200m. Such a buffer would be contingent on baiting of all your property over some months prior to aerial control.”
So that would be 4mths or more watching dogs etc and then another 4 months or so when the 1080 is dropped!!!!
Is anyone else in this situation??
Does anyone else have any issues with the 1080 drop?
Has anyone else been speaking the council?
Today’s riddle: For all the curious minds next door!
My thunder comes before the lightning.
My lightning comes before the clouds.
My rain dries all the land it touches.
What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Six tips for improving security around your home
1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.
2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.
3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.
4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.
5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.
6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property
Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.
Poll: Is dumping an issue in your neighbourhood?
There's nothing worse than strolling around the streets in your neighbourhood and seeing dumped rubbish.
Have you noticed this in your area? What could we do to combat this around the country?
-
43.4% Yes, I've seen some illegal dumping
-
55.9% No, our neighbourhood is pretty good
-
0.6% Other - I'll share below
Loading…
