Page 1300 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989

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Herbicides

Mrs Grassby: On 1 June 1989 in question time Ms Maher asked me a question without notice regarding the spraying of herbicides. I undertook to supply answers to her concerns.

Weed control in the urban area of the ACT is carried out by the city parks section of the ACT Parks and Conservation Service. The major reasons for spraying weeds with herbicides are to:

(a) prevent damage to kerbing and guttering;

(b) prevent the possibility of weeds becoming traffic hazards; and

The herbicide generally used is a mixture of Roundup (glyphosate), Gesatop (simazine) and red marking dye. The red dye is non-toxic and is used to identify treated areas. The intensity of the dye in no way reflects the strength of the herbicide and the colour fades away relatively quickly. The herbicide mixture is water soluble, does not give off vapour and, at the rate used, has a soil residual life of approximately three months.

The herbicide has been chosen because of its low toxicity to humans and the environment. It is commonly used by home gardeners, public agencies and rural enterprises to control weeds.

It is also important to note that extensive biological and environmental testing is carried out by Australian Government health authorities on all products prior to their being made available for sale and use. This is a legal requirement. Based on the results of both short and long term testing, it can be concluded that this herbicide poses no danger to human health when used according to label directions.

The herbicide ingredients adhere to the weeds and soil particles to which they are applied and do not normally become stream pollutants.

All the work done is part of a continuing program, carried out by small closely supervised teams. The city parks section adheres to very specific management procedures to protect operators, the public and the environment. These procedures include the compilation of safety procedures, the detailed training of operators and the careful selection of the herbicides used and the method of their application.

A technical group is part of the management team. This group constantly monitors and reviews herbicides and work practices.

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