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Dear Whangarei District Council,

I would like to know the months Whangarei District Council and its contractors have carrying out weed and noxious plant spraying operations over the past 3 years.

I would like to know what weed-killing products were used in these operations and what methods of application were used...

Yours faithfully,

Mick Hall

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Dear Mr Hall

I refer to your request of 26 October 2018 seeking information relating to
weed spraying undertaken by council over the last three years.  Your
request was referred to council’s Parks and Recreation and Roading
Departments for consideration and the answers to each of the questions
posed is as follows:

In what months did Whangarei District Council and its contractors carry
out weed and noxious plant spraying operations over the past 3 years?

Parks and Recreation

Council carries out herbicide control all year round (every month of the
year).   To meet agreed levels of service that our maintenance contracts
specify, our contractors will control weeds whenever environmental
conditions allow.  The majority of this involves spraying.  We carry out
three main types of control:

o General weed control in maintained areas of parks and reserves;
o Turf weed control in high profile sites;
o Pest plant (new term for noxious) weed control. 

While general weed and pest plant control can occur any time of the year,
turf weeds are controlled in early Spring.

Roading

Roadside spraying:

o Spraying is carried out in three periods and repeated yearly at an
average of 2.0 metres from edge of seal.
o The spraying of rural sealed roads is undertaken during September to
October, January to February and April to May.
o Unsealed roads are sprayed at the same time, with the exception of the
January to February period.
o Spraying of weeds in the kerbs is also done largely during these
periods but also anytime during the year when necessary.
o These spray periods are adjusted to suit growth and climate
conditions.

Spot Spraying: This is based on a monthly programme of works and is
undertaken throughout the year.  

 

What weed-killing products were used in these operations?

Parks and Recreation

General Weed control

o Glyphosate
o Simazine
o Agpro  Biosafe

Turf weed control

o Versatill (clopyralid)
o Bow and Arrow (diflufenican and MCPA)
o Strikeout (chloryrifos)

Pest Plants

o Glyphosate
o Meturon (metsulfuron – methyl)
o Tordon (picloram and triclopyr)
o Grazon (triclopyr and clopyralid)
o Amitrole
o Picloram (gel)

Roading

The mix applied was Glyphosate 470 applied at 4.2 litres per hectare,
Metsulfuron Methyl 600 applied at up to 10 grams per hectare, and
organosilicon penetrant applied at 0.1 litres per hectare.

 

What methods of application were used?

Parks and Recreation

A majority of council’s weed control is via spraying.  Most of this is by
using knapsack sprayers.  We also use motorised sprayers for the turf weed
control and some of the pest plant control.  In controlling pest plants,
we carry out cut and paste (plant stumps) control. 

Roading

Roadside spraying: This is done with a 2m tractor mounted boom. Some urban
spraying on footpaths is done with a ride-on quad bike.

Spot Spraying: Works involving spot spraying use back-pack hand held spray
equipment.

I hope this information is of some assistance in responding to your
questions.   If you believe we have not responded appropriately to your
request, you have the right by way of complaint, under section 27(3) of
the Act, to apply to the Ombudsman to seek an investigation and review of
the decision.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Rebecca Rowsell

Legal Adviser

Whangarei District Council | Forum North | Private Bag 9023, Whangarei
0148 | [1]www.wdc.govt.nz

P 09 430 4200 | DDI 09 470 3182 | M 021 528 682 | E
[email address]

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