Flood-affected residents have had a last-minute reprieve by the NSW Reconstruction Authority, who had planned to spray controversial pesticides at the Bruns pod village.
The pod village, located near Simpsons Creek on Tweed Street, is one of three in Byron Shire.
The Echo was contacted by concerned residents, claiming that many residents were probably unaware, and that the notice given was insufficient.
Neurotoxins
Their main concern was that the neurotoxins proposed for use are banned in Europe, and will impact not just the pods, but could reach the nearby waterway.
A Reconstruction Authority spokesperson told The Echo they have postponed the pesticide spraying to consult with residents and look at other options.
A time frame for when that would occur wasn’t provided.
One resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, says she is recovering from cancer, and is still being treated. She said, ‘I want to live a toxic-free life. I have a water filter, and eat organic food’.
She told The Echo she brought in worms from her flood-damaged property to start a garden and has cultivated flowers which attract bees.
‘I eat herbs and veggies from my garden at the pods’.
‘These toxins kill worms and bees,’ she says, ‘There is no way they can’t guarantee it won’t enter waterways’.
The woman was audibly upset when describing her fears of what this would do to her health.
‘I’m terrified. They said they would consult with us, but they didn’t’.
She says, ‘It’s complete overkill – of the 57 pods here, only a few pods appear to have cockroaches. They want to blanket the entire pod village’.
‘The EPA told me they can’t do anything until something happens to the environment or our health.’
She was alarmed that there are three additional pesticides that will be used from the original three proposed last year.
Similar concerns
Another resident provided her letter to The Echo, which outlined similar concerns.
She wrote, ‘I bring to your attention the fact that two of the active ingredients in three of the proposed substances have been banned in Europe and some parts of the US: Imidacloprid, in Maxforce Gold Gel and Temprid, was banned in Europe in 2013; and Indoxacarb, in Advion Gel, was banned by the EU in 2002.
‘Why, then, should we use/trust these insecticides when clearly other governments are more enlightened as to their toxicity?’
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