A contractor working on Auckland Council’s controversial pest-eradication programme on Kawau Island has been critically injured in a shooting during overnight operations, the Barrier Times can exclusively report.
The person was flown to Auckland Hospital after a firearm was discharged in bushland near Schoolhouse Bay Rd at about 12.50am.
Auckland Council has confirmed the incident was connected to the pest-eradication project and involved a staff member of one of its contracted companies.
Samantha Hill, General Manager Environmental Services at Auckland Council, said:
“We can confirm the incident overnight on Kawau Island as reported is related to the pest eradication project and involves a staff member of one of our contracted companies. Our thoughts are with those involved in this incident – we’re in touch with the contractor and the incident has been reported to the NZ Police and WorkSafe.
“Along with our project partners, we’ll continue to support the investigation in any way we can.”
The council says landowners and residents are regularly notified about pest-management activities and claims the shooting operations are carried out by professional, specialist hunters working in teams using thermal devices.
Those claims have not been independently verified by Barrier Times.
The programme targets wallabies and possums and has involved both shooting and the use of poisons.
Barrier Times has previously reported on the controversy surrounding the scale and methods of the programme, including the use or proposed use of 1080, brodifacoum, diphacinone, pindone and cyanide.
The council says hunting operations have now been suspended until further notice.
Police have charged a 44-year-old man with careless use of a firearm.
