Need to fight incursion stressed

The Otago Regional Council has a moral obligation to continue fighting vigorously against the velvetleaf incursion, even if there is some uncertainty about overall funding.

Council chief executive Peter Bodeker made that point during a recent council meeting, and later discussed the issue in an interview.

And he warned the council that future generations were likely to judge it harshly if it did not continue to take firm action to eliminate the incursion before the damaging weed became permanently established in Otago.

The weed was heavily damaging to agriculture, but unlike some other biosecurity breaches, such as the previous discovery of fruit fly in Auckland, it did not directly threaten New Zealand's exports, he said.

This meant the weed could be given a lower priority in some quarters.

A report prepared by Mr Bodeker noted that the council had also had some concerns about the possibility of Crown funding ``being withdrawn or limited'' during the fight against the velvetleaf weed outbreak.

Council director environmental monitoring and operations Scott MacLean and Mr Bodeker had subsequently met Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director-general Martyn Dunne and discussed how they would maintain financial support for "ongoing inspections and a communications campaign for farmers''.

Mr Dunne had indicated that MPI was likely to support any media advice given to farmers, and "would assess the situation for the next season'' with respect to future inspections.

The subsequent review of this incursion needed to include the issue of "funding inspections and other related activity'', Mr Bodeker said.

Council staff had continued to "proactively assist'' the Ministry for Primary Industry's response to the weed incursion, with fodder beet crop inspections undertaken since March 9, he said.

In another report prepared for the council meeting, Mr Woodhead said national biosecurity responses, such as velvetleaf, in which the council helped as contractors for MPI, "take significant resources and do impact on our day-to-day operations''.

But, if the council did not support a national response by acting promptly, using its local knowledge and ensuring commitment of adequate resources, the list of pests needing controlled, and "damaging our environment'' would continue to grow.

This would leave future generations facing "significant challenges''.

"We need to continue to encourage the Crown to ensure adequate controls are in place at the border, and when an incursion occurs, respond immediately.''

Cr Gerry Eckhoff said yesterday he supported Mr Bodeker's comments.

The Crown had a responsibility to maintain strict biosecurity controls, and should continue to fund a vigorous programme of inspections and removal of velvetleaf, and not simply back a continued media awareness campaign.

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