DAY 1. Whakatane: the journey for environmental justice begins

After months of preparation, the people poisoned daily tour kicked off last night at Pupuaruhe Marae in Whakatane. Among the 100 people attending the event was Maori Party leader Tariana Turia. Led by a flittering tiwaiwaka (fantail), visitors entered the Marae which ironically is one of the ten most contaminated sites in Whakatane.

The meeting began with an update from Joe Harawira on the long struggle for the many timber workers and their families whose health has been affected by the use of chemicals in the timber treatment process. This occurred at Carter Holt Harvey sawmill from the 1950s to the 1980s when dioxin laden PCPs were used in the treatment process – these chemicals are now known to cause many illnesses amongst them cancer, diabetes and birth defects.

Joe described their thirty year struggle to get the government to listen to their plight and to see first hand the illnesses that have been wrought upon them.

“We will be going to Wellington – this will be the third time, but at last some Ministers who have power to make change will be meeting with us.”

Ruth Dyson (Minister if ACC) , Marian Hobbs (Minister for the Environment), Pete Hodgson (Associate Minister of Health) and Parekura Horomia (Minister of Maori Affairs) have agreed to meet with the SWAP members on the 10th March after they finish the people poisoned daily tour.

Over 40 SWAP workers and their affected families will be making the trip to Wellington and will bring their issues right to the door of the institution that is there to protect the people of Aotearoa.

After Joe’s account of the long journey they have travelled, the floor was handed over to John Moller a former Vietnam Veteran who has also known a long struggle against another polluting chemical company.

DOW the producer of the chemical defoliant ‘Agent Orange’, sold their dioxin laden product to be used in the Vietnam War as a herbicide defoliant. This chemical was sprayed liberally throughout the jungles of Vietnam and hence many Vietnamese people and soldiers stationed there were also sprayed.

Now they too suffer many health problems and they also have to contend with watching their children and their grandchildren suffering similar health concerns.

The Vietnam Vets and their families will be coming together next weekend [12th, 13th March] to discuss their options and where to go from here.

Like the sawmill workers, governments have denied any claims that the Vietnam Vets were poisoned, until finally last year the Government appointed select committee found that the Vietnam Vets had indeed been poisoned.

Then Mere Takoko, Greenpeace toxics campaigner was joined by scientist Gordon Jackman to deliver a broad overview of the toxic chemical situation with Aotearoa.

“Many New Zealanders were poisoned through the extensive spraying of 245-T and 24-D that polluted our land, water and subsequently our food chain,” said Mere.

Gordon discussed the issues around chemical poisoning and how dioxins affect our health and the health of many generations to come. The need was raised to have not only health care addressed but to also have resources available to educate the future generations who are affected by dioxin poisoning.

Finally the HOHOU TE RONGO DECLARATION was presented, this outlined the many issues and solutions that the groups involved with the tour would like to see the Government address and rectify the issues.

The declaration will be presented at each meeting and then tabled in Parliament on the 10th March.

Today we go to Rotorua to talk to the local people in their community who also have concerns around toxic chemicals and take their concerns forward for the rest of the tour.

- Suzette