The 1080 poison is used to control possums and other pest threatening native plants and wildlife.

The Department of Conservation has postponed a controversial 1080 aerial drop in the Far North following outrage from iwi who say they weren't consulted.

A small group of Whangaroa residents obtained information from DOC under the Official Information Act after hearing about its plan for an aerial drop on the 2400 hectare Whangaroa forest for winter-spring of this year to reduce pest numbers.

Spokesperson Asha Anderson said when she shared the document with the community some were shocked to see their names listed as being 'fully supportive' of the plan.

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"In fact, the opposite was true and some had actually spoken out against 1080 at DOC's hui," Anderson said. "This is a serious breach of trust, and included misrepresentation of a local trust and Treaty partner."

However, DOC said consultation with iwi and hapū did take place, including discussion around a combination of ground and aerial pest control methods. "At those meetings iwi reps did not say they opposed the use of 1080 in parts of the forest", a spokesperson said.

Whangaroa resident Nyree Manuel, of Kaitangata and Te Whānau Tahi hapū, said the consultation was "a lie".

The meetings were more like "information sessions", she said.

"At no time did they ever stand up to the iwi authority and say 'do you agree to us dropping 1080 out of a helicopter onto this land. At no time.

"When something so large as that concerning a whole group of people with multiple hapū involved, that needs to be taken back to a board. [The decision] cannot be made by one person, especially when you're dealing with 12 marae."

Forest & Bird A photo from Forest & Bird drone footage showing a dead totara in Whangaroa forest.

Manuel said 1080 is "poisoning our lives".

"This is our home, where we get all our fish, our kai, we get our rongoā māori [herbal medicine] out of the bush. There's a lot of sacred ground out there. To continually lay toxins onto land is very concerning."

Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa delegate Paddy Rush said the rūnanga did not agree with the use of 1080 even though it's listed as being 'fully supportive'.

"We're disappointed in the lack of consultation," he said.

"There are other alternatives [to 1080] that can be less invasive. We're hoping DOC will get a better communication strategy and community input going forward."

A DOC spokesperson said since the OIA request and lobbying from the community "two iwi organisations advised us they did not support the use of 1080 and the consultation record was amended to reflect this".

The pest control operation will be postponed for "as long as is necessary to work through the iwi/hapū concerns and reach a workable plan and agreed way forward", the spokesperson said.

Lawrence Smith/FAIRFAX NZ Northland conservation advocate for Forest and Bird, Dean Baigent-Mercer says a 1080 aerial drop is vital for the survival of Whangaroa forest which contains threatened native species of plants, weta, bird and gecko.

"DOC and Northland Regional Council are acknowledging the concerns raised over the use of 1080 and the discovery of kauri dieback in Whangaroa forest.

"A decision was made that more time was needed to allow for pest control consultation and for a plan to be developed to manage kauri dieback in the forest as the top priority."

Northland conservation advocate for Forest and Bird, Dean Baigent-Mercer, said the 1080 drop was desperately needed because the forest was "basically in freefall collapse".

"There's nearly no birds because the rats, possums, feral cats and stoats have been allowed to run wild and eat them. On top of that, there's kauri dieback in seven places and extremely high pig numbers which are transferring the disease.

"DOC made some mistakes with their consultation, yes, but why should the forest be sacrificed because of that? No-one wins when the forest is dying."

Anderson said residents have since held their own consultation hui which were attended by about 170 locals.

They have also set up a trust and begun their own community drive Forest Health/Animal Control Plan.

A protest called 'Peaceful Protest Ban 1080 Poison' is being held in Kerikeri on September 8.

"In an area with many skilled local trappers and hunters, and where many live off the land and rely on the forest for food, water, medicine, ancestral connections and recreation year round, indiscriminately dumping poison is not an option," Anderson said.