13 July 2018

Revelations that 1080 poison has been dumped in a national park on Stewart Island need to be urgently investigated and dealt with, National’s Conservation spokesperson Sarah Dowie says.

“Stewart Island is home to an incredibly diverse array of New Zealand’s native wildlife and we should be doing everything we can to protect and enhance that.

“But this reckless dumping of 1080 completely undermines that. It is a horrible breach of the trust we place in the workers responsible for helping to protect our native species.

“There are also strict rules around the disposal of hazardous waste and they have been flouted and those responsible must face the consequences.

“We need to know urgently how this was allowed to happen, how it will be prevented in the future and who is going to be held accountable to ensure public trust isn’t further eroded and more wildlife isn’t put in danger.”

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