Dear Environmental Protection Authority,
Please accept my apology for further questioning, but I have not received an explanation for the following anomaly.

Coromandel local government has resolutions opposing use of 1080 and supporting hunting and trapping. The Communications Guideline for aerial 1080 operations states, "The operations manager needs to establish the communication processes that are appropriate for the proposed operation." Step One of the Guideline is "Consultation on the options for control and their effects ... Consultation will include options for control in the operational area and should take place with individual people ... groups and organisations with a special interest in the area ... entire communities ... "

On 22 June 2017 I sent EPA a dossier of letters from Coromandel kaumatua, community leaders and citizens verifying that our community had not been given options for control, and that many knowledgeable sectors of the community including local government were not being consulted about our concerns. The absence of consultation on options for control was verified by the DoC rangers in their written statement "A decision was made to consult on effects only". Thus there is written testimony that Step One of the Guideline was not complied with.

At the same time, in their applications for permission for Moehau and Papakai operations lodged in August 2017, the DoC rangers declared they had complied with the Communications Guideline.

Your letter to me of 14 December 2018 ENQ-35090-G2W6FO states that EPA staff reviewed the communications plan for the 2017 Moehau aerial drop provided to EPA by Department of Conservation and found no evidence that DoC had consulted inadequately. Please provide me with a copy of the communications plans for Moehau and Papakai that were reviewed by EPA staff.

Please state the grounds on which DoC rangers were not required to offer options for control for the 2017 aerial 1080 poisoning operations.

Please explain why it is acceptable to EPA staff who reviewed the communications plan, for Department of Conservation rangers not to offer iwi and community options for control and at the same time to declare they have complied with the Communications Guideline.

Yours faithfully,

Wendy Pond