Otago councillors veto anti-1080 motion

Victoria Bonham speaks to her fellow councillors on Wednesday as she tries to gather interest in developing a poison-free management plan. Photo / Tom Kitchin

After a passionate speech that nearly left her in tears, Central Otago district councillor Victoria Bonham failed to persuade her fellow councillors to develop a poison-free management plan.

Bonham put forward a notice of motion at last Wednesday's meeting, asking if councillors had an appetite to investigate creating and supporting a policy that opposed the use of 1080 and brodifacoum poisons in the district.

"I feel very strongly and passionately about the cruelty and health and safety threats to our people ... and the use of poisons for animal management," Bonham said.

"I know we don't take much of a role in that, as ORC [Otago Regional Council] manages that side of things, but it doesn't mean we don't take responsibility, because this is our community."

Councillor Stuart Duncan, of Maniototo, was against the motion.

"We're such a prone region to massive explosion of rabbits ... if there comes a better poison or better system that ticks a lot more of these bases, yes. But at the moment we can't take out all the tools of our toolbox."

Councillor Stephen Jeffrey, of Teviot Valley, agreed.

"1080's a very dangerous product and if we could find an alternative to 1080 that would be fantastic. But in the meantime, we need to think about what farmers have got in their arsenal to control rabbits, and if we legislate that the whole district would be 1080-free then I think that would probably be a step too far."

Councillor Nigel McKinlay, of Cromwell, said it would put too much pressure on council staff and it was not the district council's responsibility.

"We've talked at great length about the pressure that council and staff are under and for me this is not something we should be looking at, at this time.

"For me, this motion is before the wrong body. It is clearly a prime function of the Otago Regional Council."

The vote went ahead, and all councillors except Shirley Calvert and Bonham voted to decline the notice motion.

Councillors Malcolm Topliss and Lynley Claridge were absent.

Attending the meeting in the public gallery were Alan Gurden and Philip Paterson, two men from a group walking from Bluff to Wellington in a bid to persuade the Government to stop the use of 1080 and other poisons.

As the council made the decision to decline Bonham's motion, Gurden stood up and said the councillors should be "ashamed".

"Shame on you all ... you call yourselves decent people ... you disgust me."

After the meeting, Bonham told the Otago Daily Times she hoped to find some way to put the issue back on the council table and would keep the conversation alive in the community.