Ministerial ref: 17-E-202
File ref: LCO-03
20 February 2017
[FYI request #5246 email] Dear Mr Thompson
OFFICIAL INFORMATION REQUEST
I refer to your official information request dated 22 January 2017, asking the following
questions about the 2015 cancelled Makarora 1080 operation:
1. What was the financial cost of the 1080 baits that were dumped from this
abandoned operation?
DOC does periodically need to dispose of 1080 bait because it has chemically or
physically broken down and therefore is no longer fit for purpose. Following the
cancellation of the Makarora operation, the cost of the toxic bait disposed of in this
condition was $82,334.
2.
How much bait in weight was dumped from the abandoned 2015 Makarora
poison operation?
Approximately 66,000 kilograms of 1080-laced bait was planned to be used for the
Makarora operation.
3.
What was the total cost of transportation of poisoned baits to the Makarora site,
and to the dump site after this operation was abandoned?
No toxic bait was transported to the operation site. The transport cost from storage to
landfill was $8,000.
4.
What was the total cost of wages for all employees, including any private
contractors for the abandoned 2015 Makarora 1080 operation?
The cost of the cancelled Makarora operation was $75,285. This includes the prefeed
aerial operation that did occur.
DOC-2960779
5.
Where was the unused 1080 poisoned baits dumped?
Disposal of toxic bait is done in accordance with the appropriate HSNO (Hazardous
Substances and New Organisms) regulations using landfills consented for this
purpose. The toxic bait intended for the Makarora operation was disposed to landfill
in the Manawatu- Wanganui region.
Between August 2014 and February 2015, DOC spent more than $10 million on 27
aerial pest control operations over more than 600,000 hectares in priority areas across
the South Island to protect native species from the forecast predator plagues.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Tubbs
Acting Director Operations
Southern South Island
for Director-General
DOC-2960779
