All abuzz about anti-mozzie plans

Busselton Shire Council has applied for Federal Government approval to step up its anti-mosquito measures.

The council proposes to use a new “biological control agent” which targets mosquito larvae in the Vasse-Wonnerup wetlands Ramsar site.

The plans were posted for public comment last month.

Council senior environmental health officer Peter Horgan said Federal Government approval was sought to use helicopters to apply the agent to a site of “international significance” to protect against Ross River virus.

Mr Horgan said there were no mosquitoes containing the virus in any of the shire’s traps.

He said cases of the virus tended to increase every four years.

“You never know when that period of Ross River (virus) activity is going to occur,” he said.

“This will help stop Ross River virus by killing them (mosquitoes) as larvae.”

Mr Horgan said the sensitivity of the Ramsar wetlands site meant the council had to seek approval for the plan under the Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The new substance has been trialled in areas including the Ramsar site using handheld methods and Mr Horgan said there had been few impacts on the environment.

“We have to demonstrate that we’re not having an impact on the Ramsar site,” Mr Horgan said.

“All the studies that we’ve done so far have indicated that there’s been no detectable impacts.”

He said the practice would also reduce the need for mosquito adulticiding, known as “fogging”, which has been carried out in the Busselton Shire since 2005.

Mr Horgan said the new method was cheaper and would continue to be funded like previous methods, with a 50-50 contribution from the council and WA Health Department.

Council received one submission in response to the proposed method from Capel Shire Council which was later retracted.

In the original submission, the council’s environmental health services department said the new method would have a “low impact” on wetlands.

It criticised current fogging methods as “ineffective and having a high impact on the environment”.

In the Busselton shire, 12 cases of Ross River virus were recorded during the 2010/11 season.

The public comment period will remain open until July 23.