Apology to Waikato Regional Council

Dear Chair, Paula Southgate.

You have determined that I must apologise to Waikato Regional Council, and that the complainant Cr L Livingston requires the apology to be made public. You have determined that I must acknowledge that I will visit Democracy Services for guidance, which I acknowledge.

You have also stated that I was acting in a personal capacity when requesting information from district councils and councillors - of which I disagree.

Here is my apology.

I am sorry for sending an email to all district mayors and councillors - with regard to the pending 35 year 1080 poison resource consent application jointly submitted by the Department of Conservation, TBFree, and Waikato Regional Council - and identifying that the district councils hadn’t been consulted when the applicants stated in their application that they had.

I am sorry that when consultation is undertaken by the contractors and poisoning agencies with landowners, prior to every aerial 1080 poison drop, that it is inaccurate and misleading.

I am sorry that 1080 poison, one of the most deadly poisons on Earth, and without antidote, is dropped directly into most, if not all waterways when aerial operations are undertaken in the Waikato Region.

I am sorry that there is enough poison dropped across every acre of land and water to kill over 40 small children. Tens of thousands of acres are poisoned every year.

I am sorry that our Council voted against notifying our communities appropriately, when 1080 poison is dropped directly into the water they draw for their personal, and their animals’ needs.

I am sorry that the Council commissioned Draft Mitchell Report, and the eight recommendations - including the one that stated 1080 poison should be kept out of waterways - was passed by ICM staff, back to the agencies the Report was critiquing, so that the eight recommendations could be diluted and reduced, without the councillors on the working group knowing the Draft Report existed.

I am sorry that poisoned animals are left in the forests where they can poison other wildlife, and that poisoned carcasses are also left in waterways to decompose, and in some cases cause large spikes in E Coli residues in the month following the aerial discharges.

I am sorry that our Council permits the distribution from air, of a very cruel and inhumane poison, which kills 1000’s of animals and birds every year, and I am sorry that families every year have their pets poisoned as a result of the 1080 poison drops.

I am sorry that the majority of research that is referenced to justify the aerial drops is of such poor scientific quality that independent, international peer review is avoided.

However, my apology is not to Waikato Regional Council, but to the people of the Waikato Region. It is our Council that issues the resource consents that permit these atrocities to take place on a weekly basis. For that I am sorry.

Clyde Graf – Councillor - Disclaimer – These are my personal comments, not necessarily that of Council.

ENDS

© Scoop Media