Rural support for continuing possum control

Rural Wairarapa people are saying loud and clear they do not want to go back to the bad old days when possums were chewing away at farms, forests and gardens says Greater Wellington’s Wairarapa Councillor Ian Buchanan.

Over the past three weeks Cr Buchanan has held public meetings across Wairarapa to get comments on Greater Wellington’s proposed 10-Year Plan. His last meeting is in Masterton at the Greater Wellington building, 34 Chapel Street, 15 April at 7pm.

One of the initiatives is for Greater Wellington to continue possum control that the Government and industry-funded Animal Health Board began in the early 1990s to curb bovine Tb. Some areas in northern Wairarapa are scheduled to be declared free of bovine Tb and AHB-funded possum control is winding up. Possums carry and spread bovine Tb.

“Firstly, farmers are delighted to be leaving bovine Tb behind,” says Cr Buchanan.

“It causes huge stress and expense to their operations. We’ve gone from hundreds of herds infected with bovine TB in the 1990s to a handful in 2009, and low possum numbers have meant major spin-offs for the environment.

“People have been telling me from Mauriceville to Tuturumuri that the bush on their farms is flourishing and they’ve never seen as many tui, bellbirds and kereru (wood pigeons). They are getting bumper crops from their fruit trees and roses are blooming like never before because possums aren’t eating all the buds.

“Soil conservation plantings in our hill country are far more successful because possums aren’t stripping the new leaves off establishing trees.

Cr Buchanan says farmers have also been very supportive of the initiative to increase soil conservation plantings in the erosion prone eastern hill country and new flood protection work on the Waiohine River and the lower Ruamahanga River.

Cr Buchanan has held meetings at Tuturumuri, Greytown, Gladstone, Tinui, Whangaehu and Mauriceville and will be holding his last meeting in Masterton at the Greater Wellington building, 34 Chapel Street, 15 April at 7pm.

“I’ve heard what rural people think of Greater Wellington’s proposed 10-Year Plan, but I’d like to hear more from people living in our towns.

A public submission form was included with the plan summary that was sent to all households in March. Submissions on Greater Wellington’s proposed 10-Year Plan close on 24 April at 4pm.