An Otago woman says she is disappointed with the lack of consultation with residents about planned 1080 drops in Mt Allan and Berwick Forest, but the organisation behind the operation says it has been well publicised.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said the only advertisement she had seen about the drops, scheduled to begin next month, was a single line in the Tuapeka Times online newsletter about a public information event in Lawrence earlier this month.
She also said she had not received notification as a homeowner from Ospri, the organisation which runs the TBfree programme in New Zealand, and other homeowners she had spoken to had not received written notification either.
However, Ospri acting corporate communications manager Oliver Bates said two public information events had been held, in Outram on March 2 and Lawrence on March 3, and they had been advertised in various publications.
They included the Tuapeka Lawrence community website, The Star, The News and the Otago Daily Times.
Ospri wrote to affected parties late last year to outline the planned drops, and its contractor, Vector Control Services, had been in regular consultation with those parties, Mr Bates said.
"The consultation process includes identification and management of water supplies, confirmation of operational boundaries and signage locations. Discussions are also held around the management of stock and dogs. This process is required as part of the consent application process.''
The drops were scheduled to begin in Mt Allan in early April, Glendhu Bay in late April and Berwick Forest in early May, Mr Bates said.
Affected and adjoining landowners would receive further notification before the drops.
"We encourage any adjoining landowner/occupier who considers that they might be an affected party and who have not received correspondence from us or been contacted by our contractor to contact us directly.''
The woman said she found out about the public event in Lawrence through a friend shortly before it was due to start and decided to go along.
She was the only member of the public at the meeting, she said.
Wingatui resident David Denny said he was concerned water supplies into Mt Allan and Berwick Forest would be affected if there was a flood in the days after the 1080 drops.
He also accused Ospri of carrying out aerial drops instead of setting up traps manually because of laziness.
Mr Bates said water supplies and the management of them were considered in its consent application.
"Ground control is the main form of possum control in Otago and around New Zealand.
"However, the extent of cover, speed and level of control that can be achieved by hand is limited.
"For this reason, the aerial application of biodegradable sodium fluoroacetate [1080] is the preferred control method for the Mt Allan operation.''
