Mr DUNHAM - 1998-10-15
The front page of today’s NT News talks about a mozzie plague in Darwin. Where I live, I know that after 7.8 metre tides you hear the sound of Peter Whelan’s choppers going over spraying larvicide I wonder if the minister can tell us what actions the Territory Health Services is taking to rectify this so-called plague?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, may I report that the headline and opening paragraph of today’s front page seems to me to be the work of a fairly over enthusiastic sub-editor.
I can assure honourable members that Peter Whelan informs me that ‘plague’ is a somewhat strong word for what will be a slight increase in mozzie numbers ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri.
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, the front page story has done us a service by bringing the issue of wet season mozzies to the attention of the public at this time of year. The fact is, as the member for Drysdale said, a 7.8 metre tide on 8 October, and the fact that the tides around it caused flooding of the salt marsh breeding areas around the north coast, has caused the increase of mosquitoes. There has been spraying carried out over a large area of swamp land soon after. Spraying included areas from Lee Point, including the Leanyer swamp, the bomb crater area, Holmes Jungle swamp, Micketts Creek, and the swamp area near the Defence Communications base. All those areas are within 5 km of the northern suburbs.
Members may be interested to know that the spraying is conducted with a bacterial insecticide, which is very specific to mozzie larvae and cannot harm fish or other aquatic insects. In fact, it is a method which the Northern Territory pioneered. It has just recently been picked by Queensland. So, in this regard, we are the forefront of mosquito control. As I said, the so-called plague is actually a slight increase of salt marsh mozzies, particularly in the areas of Leanyer, Malak and Karama, and those areas will find an increase in mozzies which have been missed by the helicopter control program.
THS spends about $120 000 a year on its control program, and has now started the program this year. This month about 200 hectares have been sprayed, and next month there will be more. Additionally, my colleague, the Minister for Parks and Wildlife, through his commission, has a $200 000 mosquito control program, which involves works such as tree planting and filling in depressions and earthworks like recontouring, to allow wet season runoff to drain freely. All of these are sensible prevention measures. Also the sensible cover-up messages for all residents, which are promulgated at this time of year, are par for the course and I advise the public to heed those messages.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, may I report that the headline and opening paragraph of today’s front page seems to me to be the work of a fairly over enthusiastic sub-editor.
I can assure honourable members that Peter Whelan informs me that ‘plague’ is a somewhat strong word for what will be a slight increase in mozzie numbers ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri.
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, the front page story has done us a service by bringing the issue of wet season mozzies to the attention of the public at this time of year. The fact is, as the member for Drysdale said, a 7.8 metre tide on 8 October, and the fact that the tides around it caused flooding of the salt marsh breeding areas around the north coast, has caused the increase of mosquitoes. There has been spraying carried out over a large area of swamp land soon after. Spraying included areas from Lee Point, including the Leanyer swamp, the bomb crater area, Holmes Jungle swamp, Micketts Creek, and the swamp area near the Defence Communications base. All those areas are within 5 km of the northern suburbs.
Members may be interested to know that the spraying is conducted with a bacterial insecticide, which is very specific to mozzie larvae and cannot harm fish or other aquatic insects. In fact, it is a method which the Northern Territory pioneered. It has just recently been picked by Queensland. So, in this regard, we are the forefront of mosquito control. As I said, the so-called plague is actually a slight increase of salt marsh mozzies, particularly in the areas of Leanyer, Malak and Karama, and those areas will find an increase in mozzies which have been missed by the helicopter control program.
THS spends about $120 000 a year on its control program, and has now started the program this year. This month about 200 hectares have been sprayed, and next month there will be more. Additionally, my colleague, the Minister for Parks and Wildlife, through his commission, has a $200 000 mosquito control program, which involves works such as tree planting and filling in depressions and earthworks like recontouring, to allow wet season runoff to drain freely. All of these are sensible prevention measures. Also the sensible cover-up messages for all residents, which are promulgated at this time of year, are par for the course and I advise the public to heed those messages.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016