Thread: Exterminate deer

Below is an extract from a 1080 poison resource consent issued by Tasman Unitary Council in response top an application to poison Kahurangi park by TB Free NZ

Consent was non notifiable to the public and issued April 2015.

VIZ:--
The Council considers that the adverse effects of the activity on the environment will be no more than minor for the following reasons:

(a) The applicant is to place notices on all public entry points to the treatment area to alert people to the discharge. In addition, a public notice is to be placed in the local paper. Given the proposed measures, it is reasonable to expect that anyone entering this area will be aware of the discharge and will be able to take precautionary measures or avoid the area. The most probable exposure route will be water and this is dealt with in (d) further on.

(b) There have been many studies into the effects of 1080 on non-target native species. In general, it has been found that while individuals may be affected by the toxin, native populations benefit, particularly from the eradication of possums and other pest species. The use of 1080 in New Zealand is reasonably widespread mainly for the control of possums. The effect on native species is documented after these operations.

The effect on native plants and animals will be less than minor from the application of 1080 and in the medium term the effect on the health of the native ecosystem will be positive.

RS5 cereal baits will be used as the RS5 baits break down more quickly than other baits in the environment reducing the risk to birds.

The Kahurangi National Park Management Plan (KNPMP) refers states “In line with the National Parks Act, all animal pest species have to be exterminated as far as possible by the Department using the most efficient and appropriate means available, including hunting,

trapping, biocontrol, ground baiting and aerial poisoning”. The KNPMP is a statutory document that anticipates the potential use of aerial poisoning and animal pests should be exterminated as far as possible.

Reduction or extermination of the fallow deer in the National Park is likely to have a positive overall benefit to the environment. Noting that the definition of environment includes the hunters and the community, as well as biodiversity/natural values, the overall environmental effect of removal of fallow deer as a consequence of the 1080 use considered to be positive (the coloured highlighting of the consent is mine)

and-- Notification and Affected Parties

The adverse environmental effects of the activity are considered to be no more than minor. The Council’s Environment and Planning Manager has, under the authority delegated to him, decided pursuant to Section 95 of the Act that the application did not require public or limited notification.


This consent is granted on 28 April 2015 under delegated authority from the Tasman District Council by:





Leif Pigott
Co-ordinator Natural Resources Consents