Regional plan sees $2.5m budget for pest control

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 533, 26 April 1994, Page 11

Regional plan sees $2.5m budget for pest control

Don Linklater, chairman of the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council and Reg Barrett, general manager, presented the 1994/95 Draft (No 2) Annual Plan to Ruapehu District councillors at their last meeting in Taumarunui. The 83-page document included one page which covered the allocation of expenses on such things as soil conservation, plants and pests in the Northern Area which comprises the Ruapehu District. The expenses for the Northern Area were to be: Soil Conservation $259, 155; Plants $ 1 54,59 1 ; Pests $2,448,985. Councillor Weston Kirton said he was pleased to see that $2,448,985 was being spent on pest control ... "but what is the ultimate aim?" Mr Linklater explained that it would probably never be possible to totally eliminate possums and bovine TB in this area within the next five years but the aim was to fulfill the objectives of the Animal Health Board to reduce the incidence of TB to 0.2% nationally. "Research into possum control and biological methods is slow but seems to be the most promising way of solving this problem," he said. He acknowledged that a lot more was being spent on possum control in rural areas than is being recei ved for this programme of eradication and he cited urban areas such as Palmerston North (which was not directly affected by possum predations) which was making a significant contribution. Anyone wishing to make submissions to the Draft Annual Plan can do so at the hearings set down for 24 May in the regional council' s boardroom at 11-15 Victoria Avenue, Palmerston North.