Mr ADAMSON - 1996-08-21
There have been a number of complaints about mosquitoes in the northern suburbs in recent days. What is Territory Health Services doing about the problem, particularly in the Leanyer Swamp area as well as the rest of Darwin?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the entomology branch of Territory Health Services, one of the unsung heroes in this wide-ranging department, is handling this mosquito outbreak well, as it handles all other outbreaks that are caused primarily by high tides which flood Leanyer Swamp and adjoining areas. If members have not visited that branch, it is really worth a visit. I was there the other day. The staff there do a superb job under very arduous conditions. I spoke to a woman who may be looking one day at a microscope and segregating various types of mosquitoes, while the following day, she may be wading through sludge in the swamps and spraying larvae. It was very interesting talking to her. She had thousands of mosquitoes in a phial. She was adept at categorising them. She told me that some of them are quite beautiful. I had never thought of a mosquito as being beautiful, but seeing some of them under the microscope with blue and gold bands around their legs was quite interesting.
The recent problems have been caused by an outbreak of saltmarsh mosquitoes after flooding resulting from the high tides on 1 and 2 August. Large hatches of these saltmarsh mosquitoes were sprayed over the following 3 days by officers of the entomology branch. The sprayed areas covered 250 ha and included Leanyer Swamp, the Leanyer bomb crater area, Holmes Jungle, Mangrove Swamp, Mica Creek Swamp and the Shoal Bay dune swamps. It is worth noting that the saltmarsh mosquito can fly distances of up to 10 km. The department is having particular problems with the Leanyer bomb craters. I had a discussion with the Deputy Chief Minister and senior RAAF personnel the other day with a view to giving the entomology branch increased access to those bomb crater areas. I have now drafted a letter to the Department of Defence to determine whether we can obtain greater cooperation, which would help greatly to reduce the mosquito population in the northern suburbs.
I have raised also my concerns about the Robertson Barracks area with the Department of Defence. In the environmental impact statement study of the siting of Robertson Barracks, major concerns were raised about the mosquito breeding sites in that area. The Department of Defence has done almost nothing to suppress mosquitoes there. The entomology branch is limited in what it can do. I will urge the Department of Defence to work closely with our branch in this regard in the interests of the welfare of the soldiers at Roberston Barracks.
The entomology branch deserves high credit from us, as do the Darwin City Council and the Parks and Wildlife Commission people who all attend to this problem. The program has resulted in significantly reducing the incidence of Ross River fever from 170 cases in 1994-95 to 30 cases in 1995-96. That was achieved largely through the efforts of the mosquito control group.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the entomology branch of Territory Health Services, one of the unsung heroes in this wide-ranging department, is handling this mosquito outbreak well, as it handles all other outbreaks that are caused primarily by high tides which flood Leanyer Swamp and adjoining areas. If members have not visited that branch, it is really worth a visit. I was there the other day. The staff there do a superb job under very arduous conditions. I spoke to a woman who may be looking one day at a microscope and segregating various types of mosquitoes, while the following day, she may be wading through sludge in the swamps and spraying larvae. It was very interesting talking to her. She had thousands of mosquitoes in a phial. She was adept at categorising them. She told me that some of them are quite beautiful. I had never thought of a mosquito as being beautiful, but seeing some of them under the microscope with blue and gold bands around their legs was quite interesting.
The recent problems have been caused by an outbreak of saltmarsh mosquitoes after flooding resulting from the high tides on 1 and 2 August. Large hatches of these saltmarsh mosquitoes were sprayed over the following 3 days by officers of the entomology branch. The sprayed areas covered 250 ha and included Leanyer Swamp, the Leanyer bomb crater area, Holmes Jungle, Mangrove Swamp, Mica Creek Swamp and the Shoal Bay dune swamps. It is worth noting that the saltmarsh mosquito can fly distances of up to 10 km. The department is having particular problems with the Leanyer bomb craters. I had a discussion with the Deputy Chief Minister and senior RAAF personnel the other day with a view to giving the entomology branch increased access to those bomb crater areas. I have now drafted a letter to the Department of Defence to determine whether we can obtain greater cooperation, which would help greatly to reduce the mosquito population in the northern suburbs.
I have raised also my concerns about the Robertson Barracks area with the Department of Defence. In the environmental impact statement study of the siting of Robertson Barracks, major concerns were raised about the mosquito breeding sites in that area. The Department of Defence has done almost nothing to suppress mosquitoes there. The entomology branch is limited in what it can do. I will urge the Department of Defence to work closely with our branch in this regard in the interests of the welfare of the soldiers at Roberston Barracks.
The entomology branch deserves high credit from us, as do the Darwin City Council and the Parks and Wildlife Commission people who all attend to this problem. The program has resulted in significantly reducing the incidence of Ross River fever from 170 cases in 1994-95 to 30 cases in 1995-96. That was achieved largely through the efforts of the mosquito control group.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016