"Poison use a sinister tale" - The Press 2002

The following article appeared in the Christchurch Press in January 2002.
What's intriguing is how the British team quickly identified indicators of an industry built on poison, and how their story echoes the voice of 1000's of New Zealanders across the country - even after the ERMA reassessment of 1080 poison in 2007...

Poison use 'a sinister tale'
Article from:
The Press
Article date:
January 29, 2002

NELSON -- A British filmmaker's criticism of 1080 poison use in New Zealand has alarmed government departments.

Terry Brownbill, making a documentary to be screened in Europe, says the real story behind our use of 1080 is "a sinister tale of corruption and bureaucratic indifference".

The Department of Conservation (DOC) says his allegations of public lies and alleged corruption are unfounded.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, worried about the documentary's impact on meat- export markets, says concerns expressed by Brownbill about the possibility of 1080 residue entering food are invalid.

Last May Brownbill led a two- man film crew on a three-week tour of New Zealand, talking to opponents and supporters of aerial 1080 use. The resulting documentary is still being edited.

Brownbill says DOC and the Animal Health Board (AHB) were "empires built on poison" and British viewers of his documentary would be horrified by the poisoning of New Zealand "in the name of the Queen".

Brownbill's documentary was commissioned by Britain's Sky TV.

Brownbill said the programme made it very clear New Zealand's pure image was a sham.

"When the world gets to know the full horror of how New Zealand is carpet bombing millions of acres of farmland and native forest, there will be a backlash which could seriously affect agricultural exports and tourism," he said.

"Both DOC and the AHB are empires built on poison.

"New Zealand seems far more concerned about losing its clean- green image than it does about protecting its people."

Animal Health Board communications manager Nick Hancox said the board was more interested in achieving its aim of reducing TB in New Zealand than "empire building". --NZPA

Supplied by New Zealand Press Association