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THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2009

Residents call for enquiry into Council failure to communicate

A potentially damaging public quarrel was narrowly avoided today after Wellington City Council officials failed to apprise the eastern suburbs community of a company's intention to build a radioctive facility in the area.

A non-notifiable resource consent granted by Wellington City Council to the consortium building an isotope generation facility near Wellington Airport caused a brief furore within the community, showing the need for greater communication around sensitive issues.

This week Cyclotek Pharmaceuticals Limited (a joint venture between Pacific Radiology and Cyclotek Australia) gained resource consent to build a cyclotron in Wellington, which will be able to produce the isotope used for PET scanning.

Despite issuing a media statement issued by the consortium last year, the community was by-and-large unaware that a radioactive facility was being built in the area until after the resource consent was granted.

Strathmore Residents Association Chair Stan Andis was concerned when contacted by Moa Point residents this morning.

"I can fully understand the anxiety being displayed by local residents," said Mr Andis, "The building of a quasi-nuclear reactor next door is not something you expect to see in a self-declared Nuclear-Free City.

"However I have spoken with Dr Fitzjohn of Wakefield Radiology personally and am assured that the technology is not only safe, but also essential to providing cost savings and increased health benefits to the general public."

Mr Andis is calling for an inquiry into why Wellington City Council Citizens Engagement staff did not recognise the sensitivity of the issue and make local residents' associations aware in advance.

"They know my phone number, it wouldn't have been too hard to call me or any of the other residents' associations in the area. We have a whole bureacracy of officials in the Citizen's Engagement Directorate in Wellington City Council - I want to know what CEO Garry Poole is going to do to ensure they do their jobs in future."

He says a formal complaint has been made to the Federation of Wellington Progressive and Residents' Association, who will be discussing the matter at a public meeting next Tuesday.

Mr Andis and other community representatives will be meeting with Pacific Radiology later today to be briefed on the technology and the importance it plays to the New Zealand health system.

ENDS

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