A Brilliant Win for the Mornington Peninsula
When the DHS, in conjunction with the Doherty Institute of Melbourne, announced plans to spray large tracts of the Mornington Peninsula with a highly dangerous insecticide to combat Buruli Ulcer back in 2019, the community came together rapidly and by the end of the year the program had been cancelled.
But the threat of spraying our homes and much-loved environment has hung heavily over our heads since then, with many of us expecting to be dragged back into the fight at any moment.
In last year’s budget, Professor Tim Stinear and the Doherty Institute were awarded a $1.5 million grant to continue their transmission intervention study into Buruli.
Quite rightly, they are worried about a rise in infections and the possibility of an epidemic lasting for a couple of decades.
‘Here we go again’ was my first thought on hearing that Buruli was back on the agenda !
However, I am very happy to report that there will be absolutely no spraying this time around, and that the DHS and Doherty Institute have indeed found non-toxic alternatives to researching and fighting Buruli.
Just as we all knew they could and demanded they should. (Pardon the rhyme !)
The following media announcement (17/02/21) is taken from the Mornington Peninsula Shire website:
This State and Federal Government funded trial incorporates a new approach, addressing community concerns raised in 2019 around the use of spraying to control mosquitoes.
This safer alternative is mosquito specific and does not involve spraying or pose any risk to bees, wildlife, or any other insects.
The study and associated control measures will include:
· Education campaigns to ensure homeowners are not unintentionally creating breeding habitats for mosquitos.
· Use of non-toxic traps called Gravitraps that reduce mosquito numbers in and around homes. These traps are sustainable, non-toxic and have been used worldwide to effectively reduce mosquito numbers.
· Use of commercial, non-toxic mosquito-specific larvicides in backyard breeding sites such as rain-water tanks, septic tanks, ponds, and bird baths. These larvicides are not toxic to humans, pets, or other animals. They are also recommended by the World Health Organization as safe for use in drinking water supplies to control container-breeding mosquitoes.
The full Shire media announcement can be accessed here:
The Doherty Institute media announcement can be accessed here:
https://www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/news/beating-buruli-project-receives-1.5-million-funding-boost
This is not just a brilliant win for the Mornington Peninsula, it is a win for communities right across the country fighting absurd proposals that infringe on both their sovereignty as citizens and their treasured environments.
A hearty congratulations to everybody involved !