Official Information Request - 15 August 2018

Sent: Friday, 24 August 2018 9:48 a.m.

Subject: TRIM: Information request - glyphosphate based herbicides

I refer to your information request of 15 August 2018 which has been processed under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

Below please find the Council's responses to your queries:

• Rationale for use glyphosphate based herbicides

Rotorua Lakes Council uses glyphosate-based agrichemicals for weed control along roadsides and in parks and reserves.

In terms of use, we take guidance from the regional council and the Environmental Protection Authority, which regulates use of these types of substances in New Zealand. Products we use are currently considered the most efficient and cost-effective for weed management.

Council is required under Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Regional Pest Management Plan and the Waikato Regional Council's Pest Management Plan to control pest weeds and uses products approved for use by the regional council, and by the Environmental Protection Authority which regulates the use of such substances.

There are several factors that need to be balanced - council's responsibility for providing a service - in this case weed control - the effectiveness, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of providing that service and public health and environmental impact. Spraying has, to now, been considered more effective than other options, including manual methods such as mowing.

Council's transport division uses glyphosate-based products along roadsides, spraying a 2m strip in rural areas to control vegetation for road safety purposes, kerbing and channelling and small areas around the likes of road signs. Roadsides in the lakes areas are not verge sprayed - they are mowed only.

Infracore (Council's parks and reserves maintenance CCO) uses glyphosate-based agrichemicals along and around fence-lines, retaining walls, bollards, hard surface edges and structures in parks and reserves. Spray cycles are carried out three to four times a year to maintain effective control.

In addition to edge spraying Council uses glyphosate to mark sports field lines at the beginning of the season for each sporting code (timing varies from code to code). Most line marking is done for winter sport. Council has reduced the number of fields it uses glyphosate on as part of the new maintenance contract currently under negotiation.

All staff who apply these products are required to be trained and certified in its use and must follow strict handling and application guidelines.

In New Zealand, use of glyphosate is regulated by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) which has approved it as a herbicide for general use and monitors international developments and research on the use of substances.

Glyphosate is currently considered the safest of a range of herbicides available and is widely used throughout New Zealand and the world, including by the general public. A broad-spectrum systemic herbicide absorbed through foliage, it is effective on actively growing plants only and is absorbed and broken down by soil.

More information can be found here and here - both on the EPA website.

• Dates of its application going forward

Parks and reserves - August/September, November/December, February/March, and a fourth application if necessary. Each cycle takes 8-10 weeks depending on weather conditions and resource availability.

Transport - all year round.

• Location of its application going forward

Parks and reserves:

The cycle of application follows the approximate order below -

Springfield/Fordlands

Glenholme/Fenton Park

Owhata/Ngapuna

Western Heights/Mangakakahi/Pukehangi

Koutu/Rotorua Central

Ngongotaha

Rural and Lakes Reserves

Transport:

District-wide kerb and channel (urban/rural) and rural road berms and cycleways are sprayed year round

• Concentration of active ingredient

Infracore use Glyphosate 360 (data sheet attached)

Farmsmart (Council's rural vegetation control contractor use Agpro Green Glyphosate 510 @ 0.7% spray solution (data sheet attached)

Fulton Hogan (Council's roading contractor) also use Agpro Green Glyphosate 510 @ 1% spray solution

As per the Act, we are obliged to advise that you may contact the Ombudsman at the address below if you have any concerns with the response provided by Council, by writing to:

The Office of the Ombudsman

PO Box 10 152

WELLINGTON 6143

Alternatively, you may email info@ombudsman.parliament.nz or use the online complaints form available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-a-complaint.

Regards