‘Mountain’ of paperwork in wake of disease alert

Press, 26 February 1981, Page 2

‘Mountain’ of paperwork in wake of disease alert

Ministry of Agriculture officials are sifting through a “mountain” of paperwork in the wake of the disease alert on the Dennis pig farm near Temuka. The controlling veterinarian at emergency head-, quarters in Timaru (Mr K. A. Twaddle) said yesterday that the operation, easily the! biggest of its type in 'New! Zealand history, had taught 1 the Ministry several lessons, j "But they were all in the; nature of minor details and; logistics," said Mr Twaddle. | “I believe the situation!

was handled promptly and; efficiently, and exactly! according to our instructions! and training. Anything we! learnt will be used to rein-j force the present system for! any future emergency," heli said.

The Ministry of Agricul ture had found ihc demam for communications greatei than expected, for example “There were places where we could have done with two telephones instead ol one, and there were bottlenecks caused at times by not enough radio channels,” said Mr Twaddle. Some of the European-de-signed protective clothing worn by Ministry officers on the farm had been far too hot for the New Zealand summer. Mr Twaddle said the Ministry would .also streamline the deployment of vehicles in any future-operation. - “At one stage .we had five or six cars parked outside the farm, getting in the way, with no need for them to be there. But staff seemed to be deployed where and when we needed them,” he said. Mr Twaddle admitted that there had been a little criticism of the Ministry’s handling of the emergency, “There are one or two rumours about slip-ups, but I will not comment on rumours. They are beinj* investigated," he said. Reports from rqany officers had still to come in, and staff were busy sorting through a “mountain” 1 of paper to decide what was worth while keeping and filing. Mr Twaddle emphasised.

I that the Ministry had looked | upon the alert as a “training !exercise”.at any stage, even | during the winding-down of the big operation.--, • "That is; rubbish,” he said.) “We know that a lot of the taxpayer’s money has been! spent on this, but everv cent! was necessary." ' • | It is exactly two weeks! since the foot-and-mouth; alarm on Mr John Dennis’s; pig farm in McNairs Road, which resulted in the des-| truction of his entire stock! of 850 pigs. Yesterday, there were no) Ministry of Agriculture per-) sonnel or vehicles within j sight of the farm. Mr Twaddle said a .few) puddles of water remained,; but fences had been repaired! and the big clean-up finshed.

. "By the end of the. week i I there should be nothing to ! indicate .that we were ever) there —. except for a spot-1 ; less piggery,” he said. ' ‘ Mr John Dennis, aged 25,j ; and his wife. Susan, aged 24,1 have so far been paid; $50,000 compensation by the! Government for the loss of their livelihood. Mr Dennis has been told! that the money will be taxed) unless he; puts it into rede-j yelopment of the 16-hectare; property. He said it would be threeto four months before he) could start to restock the farm, and up to two years) before any pigs were sale-j able. In the meantime, the first) thing the Dennises plan to) Ido is have a holiday in the; |North Island to relax after; their ordeal. I ) Mr Dennis has no intention iof giving up pig farming, 'according to a Press Association message from Timaru. “I like pigs. I’ve got noth- _ ing against them,” he said. “They have always been a dicey investment with the up and down market, but you have to live with it.” He has started to plan the restocking of his farm and next week will consider purchasing some purebreed pigs. But he acknowledges it will) take two years to build his; numbers up to the 850 he; had. I