Funding for possum cull unavailable

No more funding is available to cull possums in Northland.

Conservationists have accused the Government of playing possum when it comes to keeping Northland's native forests alive.

The Northland Regional Council (NRC) environment committee last week suggested making a joint thrust with Department of Conservation for more possum-control money but DOC said there is no point in asking the Conservation Ministry, as extra funding just isn't there.

The committee heard through various reports that large areas of Northland's 130,000 hectares of nationally important, bio-diverse forests would benefit from 1080 poison drops. But DOC's Northland partnerships manager Sue Reid said that although poison drops were cost effective, the department had to operate within its current budget and could not expect more money from the Government. Ms Reid also questioned whether there would be enough support from the community for 1080 drops.

NRC bio-security manager Don McKenzie said the most effective conservation work in Northland was now being done on private land and in shared programmes.

Far North Forest and Bird spokesperson Dean Baigent-Mercer has defended the use of aerial drops. The group recently released aerial footage showing the devastation of possum-ravaged Northland forests.

In response to NRC's and DOC's separate financial constraints, Ngunguru conservationist Wade Doak said Northland's forests have very high biodiversity values, are a major tourism asset and act as future carbon sinks. Mr Doak said while communities and land groups were doing their bit and Government funds were limited, carbon producing industries could pay more toward climate-change protection such as having healthy forests.

"We are told that to control the possums devastating these forests would cost $15 million but the [Northland Regional Council] has no budget for this. My question is, what is the value per hectare long term of forest as a planet saving carbon sink?" Mr Doak said.

He and neighbours managed to control pests in a combined 1100 hectares: "It can be done."