Residents Rally Against 1080

Anti-1080 protesters marched through Greymouth yesterday, opposing a planned poison drop in Barrytown.

However, bad weather forced organisers to abandon plans for the 70 protesters to picket tourists arriving on the TranzAlpine train.

The protest comes as the West Coast Regional Council prepares for the first aerial poison drop in the hills behind Barrytown, 30km north of Greymouth.

The council dropped poison- free pellets last week to encourage possums and other pests to eat the poisoned pellets due to arrive next week. The 9000ha drop zone has locals worried their drinking water will be contaminated.

They also fear decomposing carcasses of poisoned possums, rats and birds could cause contamination for months.

March organiser Russell Johns said residents disputed the council’s definition of a water catchment.

“They define what a water catchment is and to us all high points are a bloody water catchment. Consultation has not been actual consultation.”

He said there could be a human rights case for potential contamination of water supplies.

Regional council possum control manager Andrew Macalister said the council had twice revised drop plans, in conjunction with locals.

Barrytown residents were understandably anxious because it was the first time 1080 would be dropped on their doorstep. After two years of unsuccessful ground operations to control numbers of possums, which spread tuberculosis to cattle and deer, the council was using an aerial drop. Macalister said 1080 was a very low risk when diluted in water.

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