Wagner Nicky: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Wagner Nicky: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:661;Page:9505] 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 David Parker might like to talk about mining and focus on mining but I am much more interested in conservation and the work that the Department of Conservation does in that area. The Department of Conservation has huge responsibilities. It manages and oversees the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and heritage assets on land and sea and it actively encourages all New Zealanders to enjoy them. It directly manages almost one-third of our land mass and our marine reserves and it facilitates agreements to protect public land. The department is also responsible for managing protected wildlife and marine mammals. It is a huge job but the department seems to do it very well. It seems to have a presence in every nook and cranny across the country and it works actively with hundreds of volunteers to do this job and to do it well. 
We are all aware that New Zealand is a country of unique animals birds and insects. Over 25 percent of our birds and 90 percent of our insects are indigenous. But New Zealand’s native wildlife faces a continuous battle for survival. Landcare Research scientists estimate that over 25 million native birds are killed every year. That is 25 million birds killed every year by imported predators such as stoats rats cats and possums so one of the Department of Conservation’s most important responsibilities is pest control. 
Today I would like to talk a little about 1080 poison and why it is critical to use toxins like 1080 to protect our native forests and fauna. The department told us at its review that it feels there is a lot of misinformation about 1080. We know that there is much controversy about its use. But the active ingredient in 1080 is a naturally occurring substance that is found in plants and interestingly enough in plants like tea and puha. The 1080 poison is biodegradable. It dilutes and breaks down in water and plants and animals naturally excrete non-lethal quantities of 1080. The Department of Conservation has monitored over 200 kiwi through 1080 operations and no birds have ever been lost. On the other hand without its protection nine out of 10 North Island brown kiwi born in the wild were killed in their first year. But after an aerial 1080 operation that targeted stoats and rats in Tongariro forest seven out of 10 kiwi chicks made it past their first birthday. 
The Environmental Risk Management Authority the independent environmental watchdog put 1080 under intensive expert examination 2 years ago. It concluded that the continued use of 1080 has significant benefits for New Zealand’s environment. The Department of Conservation uses 1080 according to guidelines imposed by the Environmental Risk Management Authority and health authorities and there have been more than 2000 tests of water supplies. None of the results have identified any risk to public health. Safety standards for reticulated water have never been breached. 
There has been a refinement in the use of 1080 over the last decade and the amount of toxin per hectare has been cut down by about 90 percent. This means that there is only a teaspoon of toxin on each hectare. The Department of Conservation does about 560000 hectares of pest control annually most of which is ground based. One hundred and fifty thousand hectares are aerially sprayed with 1080 and that method is used in country that is challenging and when other options are not available. The Department of Conservation’s aerial 1080 operations cover less than 2 percent of public conservation land. The department also spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on alternative pest control methods. Alternatives have to be cost-effective have comprehensive coverage be humane and pose little risk to human health. At least 30 research projects are under way to find improvements in the use of 1080 or alternatives to its use. Other methods such as innovative self-setting stoat and rat traps have recently been developed by the department in conjunction with private enterprise. A possum trap is due shortly. These innovations should boost the cost-effectiveness of ground control.