Government ignores overwhelming community concern about pesticide pollution at it's peril

Thursday, 02 July 1998 10:00

A recently conducted survey, by Newspoll Market Research, gauging community concern about pesticide pollution indicates without a doubt, that the vast majority of the community in rural and city areas are concerned about the impacts of pesticides and want improved controls on the use of pesticides, Total Environment Centre (TEC) announced today.
 
'Eighty six percent of those polled said they were concerned and 93% want improved controls on the use of pesticides. A majority of rural people are very concerned, 9% more than urban people. 71% of rural people are strongly in favour of improved controls. These results vindicate the position TEC and concerned community groups have repeatedly expressed to the Government about the escalating problems and persistent poisoning of the environment and people with pesticides,' said Jeff Angel, Director, Total Environment Centre.

'The Government has been snaking around the problem for far too long; the Carr government came to power with a promise that pesticide pollution would be addressed and virtually nothing constructive has been done to fulfil this promise'.
 
'The community has already been consulted, mediated, and basically abandoned by government on the issue; meanwhile children are still being sprayed while they wait for school buses; pesticides continue to pollute our already fragile rivers and sensitive ecosystems; and, cotton towns like Gunnedah are facing yet another season of intensive pesticide exposure, contaminated drinking water and high anxiety because the Government has failed to implement any effective regulatory action,' Mr Angel said.
 
'The poll results clearly show it would be to the Government's advantage to act on the concern the overwhelming majority of the community has about pesticides, rather than sitting on its hands while people and the environment are poisoned'.

'Total Environment Centre has facilitated communication between rural groups and the government on this issue over several seasons of high pesticide anxiety and have been extremely disappointed by the lack of response to adequately address the issues'.
 
'With the next intensive pesticide season commencing in the run-up to the election, there will be an all time high level of anxiety and backlash against the government for condemning the environment and people to further pesticide exposures'.