DOC to review aerial control procedures in wake of fatal helicopter crash

Friday, 2 November 2018

The Department of Conservation is reviewing its operational procedures for aerial control of tahr in the wake of last month's helicopter tragedy including looking into the types of aircraft used but says it has no intention to stop using the Wanaka-based company involved in the fatal crash.

DOC Eastern South Island operations director Andy Roberts said the tahr control operation is on hold while the department reviews the cull process.

Paul 'Hondy' Hondelink (63) had worked in conservation for several decades. Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage described him as a 'conservation legend'.

'The tahr control operation is on-hold while we review the logistics of this work. There is no confirmed date for DOC's tahr control work to resume but it's unlikely to be before early next year,' Andy Roberts said.

The operation was suspended following a crash near Wanaka Airport on October 18 which killed Twizel-based DOC biodiversity ranger Scott Theobald, 59, and DOC senior ranger Paul Hondelink, 63, and Wanaka-based pilot Nick Wallis, 38. The trio were leaving Wanaka to begin work on DOC's controversial tahr culling project.

Wanaka helicopter pilot Nick Wallis died in a Hughes 500 crash while flying DOC workers Scott Theobald and Paul Hondelink to cull tahr.

Scott Theobald (59), who was killed in helicopter crash in Wanaka, had been with the Department of Conservation for over 22 years and was assigned to the department's tahr culling project.

* Confusion surrounds South Island Himalayan Tahr cull start

* Funeral arrangements made for DOC workers killed in helicopter crash**

The project aimed to bring the tahr population down to the Himalayan Tahr Management Plan's target of 10,000 on conservation land.

'The Department is reviewing its operational procedures for tahr aerial control operations in the wake of the helicopter tragedy. This will include looking at aircraft types used in tahr control operations.

'There is no intention to stop using Alpine Helicopters as a supplier of helicopter services for DOC unless information comes to light that would suggest we should,' Roberts said.

On Thursday, the department announced it would, for the first time, provide an opportunity for hunters to gain air-access to the Hooker/Landsborough Wilderness Area, Adams Wilderness area and nine sites in Westland/Tai Poutini National Park early next year to kill tahr.

There will be four hunting periods running from January 5 to February 1, 2019, which hunters can apply for.

'Hunters are not vetted as such, but they do require a hunting permit from DOC and a firearms licence to hunt by rifle, which is issued by the police through a vetted process.'

However, Roberts said the focus now was on providing support to the families and colleagues of the men killed in the crash last month.

'This has included working closely with the families on the arrangements for their funerals, held this week in Wanaka and Aoraki/Mt Cook, and on Saturday November 3 in Whangarei. There's also been a significant contribution from the wider conservation community.'