OIA 18-E-0751
DOC-5594630
19 October 2018
Jacinta Peryer
Email
: [FYI request #8775 email]
Dear Jacinta,
Thank you for your Official Information Act request to the Department of
Conservation, dated 27 September 2018. You requested the following:
1. What were the results of the water testing done at Hunua Ranges after the
latest 1080 drop?
2. Do you guys test for by products of fluorocitrate and flouroacetyl in the
water or just solely sodium fluoroacetate?
By way of context for my response, it is important to note that the recent Hunua 1080
operation was led by Auckland Council. The Council manages 85 percent of the land
in the operation area as regional parkland. The Council has led planning for the
operation, with support from the department, and therefore holds more information
about the operation. Information on the operation can be found on the Council’s
website at this link:
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/environment/what-we-do-to-help-
environment/our-biodiversity-projects/Pages/hunua-project-1080-pest-
management.aspx
Additional information regarding the use of 1080 for pest control can be found on the
department’s website at this link:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/methods-of-control/1080/.
Your questions, and our responses, are listed below:
1. What were the results of the water testing done at Hunua Ranges after the
latest 1080 drop?
Water testing was undertaken by Watercare Services Ltd., a Council-controlled
organisation which is part of the Auckland Council family. Information about the
water testing related to the Hunua 1080 operation can be found on Watercare’s
website:
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Office
Private Bag 68908, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141
www.doc.govt.nz
https://www.watercare.co.nz/About-us/News-media/Pest-control-programme-in-
the-Hunua-Ranges
Auckland Council provided information to the Department about the water testing
results. The following documents therefore fall within the scope of your request and
are attached:
Item Date
Document description
Decision
1
25
Email from Auckland Council to
Released in part.
September DOC with water sampling results
2018
2
24
Watercare Certificate of Analysis
Released in part.
September Report #
286140-0
2018
3
25
Watercare Certificate of Analysis
Released in part.
September Report #
286392-0
2018
I have decided to release the relevant parts of the documents listed above, subject to
information being withheld under one or more of the following sections of the Official
Information Act:
• section 9(2)(g)(ii) – names of officials and other individuals to protect
people from improper pressure or harassment.
In making my decision to withhold some information, I have considered the public
interest considerations in section 9(1) of the Official Information Act.
2. Do you guys test for by products of fluorocitrate and flouroacetyl in the
water or just solely sodium fluoroacetate?
As I noted above in my response to Question 1, in the case of the Hunua 1080
operation, water testing was undertaken by Watercare Services Ltd.
The Department does not itself undertake the testing of water and uses accredited
laboratories for this purpose. As an example of what such laboratories do,
information about the protocol followed by Landcare New Zealand’s laboratory is
available at his link:
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/laboratories/toxicology-
laboratory/services/advice-and-protocols/protocol-for-sampling-and-testing-water-
for-1080
You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of my decision to withhold some
information by writing to an Ombudsman as provided by section 28(3) of the Official
Information Act.
If you wish to discuss this with the Department, please contact Kirsty Prior,
Operations Manager, Tāmaki Makaurau, on 027 540 3820 or by email
[email address].
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Baucke
Director, Operations
Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland
