MAF May Find the Community Advisory Group Harder to Get Rid of than the Painted Apple Moth

Members of the Painted Apple Moth Community Advisory Group yesterday received notification that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to disband the Group.

MAF, which convened the CAG 13 months ago, apparently carried out a review of its operations, but did not consult any members of it in the course of the review and no copy of the report has been made available to them.

"The Community Advisory Group will prove more difficult to eradicate than the painted apple moth," declared group member and Waitakere City Councillor, Annette Fenton.

Group members are determined to continue to carry out the tasks they were given by MAF, which includes conveying to the Ministry community concerns about the eradication programme. "We cannot afford to waste the community confidence or the expertise we have built up," said group Chairman, Kubi Witten-Hannah.

The group continues to have the support of Waitakere City Council. MAF has refused to meet with the group since before the general election and group members have relied on council support and their own resources to operate. "Being theoretically disbanded by MAF will probably make little practical difference to us," said Mr Witten-Hannah.

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