Aerial Spray Impacts Report Delayed Until March
People’s Inquiry Into Aerial Spraying Re-Scheduled Funding challenge forces critical decision
The People’s Inquiry into the impacts and effects of aerial spraying pesticide over urban areas of Auckland due to be held in November this year in Waitakere City, will now take place between the 22nd and 28th March 2006.
Hana Blackmore, convenor of
the People’s Inquiry Steering Committee said that funding
challenges forced the committee to make the difficult
decision to move the Inquiry.
“One month out from
the Inquiry, we were faced with travel and accommodation
bookings for our Commissioners that needed to be confirmed,”
she said.
“The decision was made to postpone
because there was no guarantee that essential funding would
be raised in time. The Steering Committee was also acutely
conscious of the inordinate amount of time and effort we
were having to spend on fundraising to the exclusion of
everything else.”
After reviewing the situation the
Committee all agreed the Inquiry would be compromised by
continuing with the November date, said Hana Blackmore. She
added that there were benefits to the move.
“It
means we have more time to concentrate on co-ordinating the
essential submission process. Over eighty people have
already registered to give evidence, and with half wishing
to speak to their submissions, the extra day available with
the March booking gives us more flexibility to fit everyone
in.”
The People’s Inquiry website was also up and
running, said Mrs Blackmore, which meant people could now
register and put in submissions on-line.
www.peoplesinquiry.co.nz
“We have also posted a host
of information and history, including a number of community
studies and reports, many of which are published here for
the first time,” said Hana.
“These are good background
reading because they document the community perspective on
the aerial spraying campaigns, which is what the Inquiry is
all about.”
The People’s Inquiry will be held in the
Waitakere City Council Chambers between Wednesday March 22nd
and Tuesday 28th 2006. The commissioners will be welcomed
and the Inquiry opened by Mayor Bob Harvey on the Tuesday
evening before hearings commence, with the closing ceremony
on the evening of the 28th March. The Steering Committee
can be contacted via the website or at:
People’s
Inquiry Inc PO Box 25743 St Heliers, Auckland.
www.peoplesinquiry.co.nz