Environment Southland continues to support dung beetle release
Posted on Friday, 29 July 2011 12:57 p.m.
Environment Southland has reaffirmed its support for the controlled release of dung beetles in New Zealand, despite fresh opposition from an anonymous group.
The Regional Services Committee this week considered a request from the Dung Beetle Strategy Release Group asking for fresh endorsement of the introduction and release of the beetles to process pastoral animal waste.
The council has supported the proposal in principal and financially providing $10,000 in funding for the proposal since 2009.
However Biosecurity Manager Richard Bowman told the committee that despite the importation being approved following an exhaustive process by the Environmental Risk Management Authority opposition to the proposal had emerged.
Mr Bowman said little was known about the group but his understanding was that it was made of people from the University of Auckland.
The basis of the group’s concerns was also a mystery, he said.
“The dung beetle group and its supporters are concerned the project is effectively being undermined.”
Councillor Nicol Horrell said if there were good reasons for opposition then they should be made known
The committee did express some uneasiness about supporting the proposal without knowing the detail of the disapproval but agreed to offer support.
But with it was a request that the opposition be debated openly and in the public forum.
The Dung Beetle Strategy Release Group is funded chiefly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as well as by contributions from stakeholder groups and agencies.
The benefits of the dung beetle release in New Zealand are expected to include improved soil uptake of nutrients, reduce nutrient run-off, improve soil and water quality and reduce levels of unfavourable bacteria and parasites.
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.