Buruli ulcer: councillors want details on Mornington Peninsula trial
A radical plan to spray Melbourne’s holiday playground with “industrial-strength Mortein” has the region’s councillors up in arms, and demanding input from a range of experts before it goes ahead.
South East
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An “experiment” involving spraying parts of Mornington Peninsula with pesticide has been met with concerns from local councillors, who are demanding an in-depth briefing from experts about the radical plan.
Councillors raised several questions about the Melbourne University-led Beating Buruli mosquito control study as a matter of “urgent business” at a July 23 meeting.
They want the university, Department of Health and Human Services, CSIRO, health organisations and medical experts to advise them on possible consquences of the mass spray plan.
They also want access to “all relevant papers and technical documents”.
Cr Hugh Fraser, who raised the issue, said he wanted to know exactly what chemicals would be sprayed and how it would affect people, flora, fauna and the general environment.
Cr Fraser also raised concerns about what the pesticide would do to the indigenous bee population and how beekeepers would be able to register their hives and “opt out” of the experiment.
The experiment is an attempt to reduce the mosquito population and test a theory that the insects are partially responsible for a spike in Buruli ulcer cases in the region.
The university was awarded a $1.5 million National Health and Medical Research Council grant for the project in April last year.
As part of the trial, sections of the southern peninsula from Rosebud to Portsea would be sprayed with synthetic pyrethroid (SP) pesticide every four to six weeks during mosquito breeding season (December 2019 to April 2020).
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Larvicide (blocks of methoprene) may also be dropped into public water ways considered to be likely breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Fogging — the misting of pesticide — may also be required.
As part of the Beating Buruli research project, Doherty Institute scientists rode around the peninsula on bikes and scooters to pick up possum faeces.
The faeces is now being tested in a bid to identify “hot spots” where possums shed the bacteria which causes the ulcer (known as mycobacterium ulcerans).
Cr Bryan Payne said the fact the virus had been detected in “possum poo” made him question the link between mosquitoes.
“I know eight people who have had these ulcers and all eight are gardeners,” Cr Payne said.
Cr Antonella Celi said she was looking forward to advice from scientific and medical experts.
The councillors also asked why the shire was involved in the initiative and how much was being spent.
Mornington Peninsula chief executive John Baker said the council had agreed to “explore a variety of mechanisms, in partnership with a range of organisations … to see what can be done about the Buruli virus” about 12 months ago.
Mr Baker said the only council’s only financial contribution to date had been “officers’ time”.