Sacred Springs Tea Party:
Community gathers at Waikoropupu Springs to oppose 1080 drop and honour waters

This Tuesday alarmed residents of Golden Bay are gathering in resistance as the Animal Health Board begins a massive aerial poisoning operation, dropping 1080 poison by helicopter on the forested mountains surrounding the community.

In the spirit of Kaitiakitanga, as custodians, community members are gathering at Te Waikoropupu Springs Tuesday 18th at 2.00pm, to honour the goodness and health of the waters of our region and all our natural environment and to affirm a future that is free of the fear of contamination by toxins like 1080.

We are coming together at the springs considered sacred by people both locally and nationally because we feel the integrity of the springs has been compromised by the aerial dropping of the highly toxic mammalian poison and insecticide throughout the Kahurangi watershed.

Eight rivers in the region will be affected by the 1080 drop which is all legally permissible under current law. Numerous local residents obtain their drinking water from these rivers.

The Animal Health Board plans to drop 36 tonnes of 1080-laced baits over the western mountain ranges of Golden Bay, covering an area of 18,000 hectares bordering the area's farms.

Despite a majority of Golden Bay residents being strongly opposed to the aerial dropping of 1080 poison, the powers that be have shown no interest in hearing the community’s desire to use more acceptable methods of possum control in the region.

Opposition is strongly felt across this community from many different positions, such as environmentalists, health advocates, hunters, gatherers, trampers, farmers, tourist operators, pet owners and people against cruelty to animals, all for their respective reasons.

This arrogant abuse of our environment is an affront to the well-being of our community. The Geneva Convention prohibits the poisoning of a citizen population’s water supplies but somehow our government feels it has the right to do this to its own people. We are now stuck with huge skull and cross bone signs everywhere throughout our region that will remain up throughout our tourism season.

Bring your poems, songs, prayers and sentiments to this sad but positive event, (but no food or drink near the Springs thank you)

ENDS

© Scoop Media