Stop Aerial Spraying (SAS) welcome Report

Immediate Release - Monday 12th November

Stop Aerial Spraying (SAS) welcome People's Inquiry Report

Stop Aerial Spraying welcome the recommendations reported by the People's Inquiry into the impacts and effects of aerial spraying, and congratulate the Commissioners on their thorough and considered work. See: www.peoplesinquiry.co.nz for executive findings and the full report.

Sue Berman from SAS, said today: "If this report is heeded people will never again be sprayed with agricultural chemicals without their consent, whether directly or by drift from fine aerosols. The human rights issues have been well explored, 'people are not trees' nor should their health be sacrificed for them. Nobody can ever claim again that aerial spraying is harmless to human health".

SAS calls on the Government to act immediately on the reported recommendations, and for the Ministers' of Biosecurity, Agriculture and Forestry, and of Health to instruct their staff to familiarise and integrate the report findings into their work programs.

See Recommendation 12. The People's Inquiry report recommends implementing similar amendments to the Biosecurity Act to those drafted by Chen and Palmer for Stop Aerial Spraying in 2003. These amendments were submitted for consideration to the Ministry of Biosecurity and have to date been ignored. - - The report recommends that the Biosecurity Act should insist that human health be given at least as much consideration as damage to property in any response to a Biosecurity emergency.

Stop Aerial Spraying awaits the imminent publication of the report of the Office of the Ombudsmen into its complaint made four and half years ago.

ENDS

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