36 September/October 2019 Promote • Educate
Health and food
Tried, trusted... yet little known
Almost unnoticed, a delicate little remit was passed at the AGM of
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) last month, encouraging
councils to ‘consider using environmentally friendly weed control
methods’.
Almost as unnoticed it appears, is that a dozen borough councils
in Auckland, including Ellerslie Borough Council, Devonport
Borough Council and Waiheke Island County Council, did just
that in the 80s and 90s. They implemented non-chemical weed and
vegetation control policies that remain in place today. (Note that in
the context of this article, ‘non-chemical’ and ‘chemical-free’ mean
the use of safer methods of weed control – no harmful herbicides.)
So how come no one knows about it? How do so few realise
that hundreds of thousands of people have enjoyed safe, chemical-
free operations on roadsides and numerous parks in Auckland for
over 20 years? This unawareness includes Hamilton City, which
submitted this remit to LGNZ! Swallowed up and obscured
The answer is because they have effectively disappeared from view.
Local government amalgamations have successively merged these
small councils into bigger cities, until they were swallowed up by
the monstrous Auckland ‘Super City’ in 2010.
Although legacy spray-free weed regimes were retained,
the Super City has failed to deliver any progress on a subsequent
harmonising policy. Its structures and procurement policies have
seen previously stable weed and vegetation control costs spiral. One
early and much-quoted ‘authoritative’ estimate had the cost of non-
chemical methodologies for the roadside at 800% more expensive
than glyphosate.
This sort of nonsensical fiction is what is passed on to
councillors and decision makers, and even outside enquirers.
That the contracting authority, Auckland Transport, was and is
implacably opposed to the use of anything but glyphosate on its
roadsides may be the reason why the effectiveness and viability of
alternative methodologies has been so successfully suppressed. Bypass the chemical cowboys
But cheer up! The legacy non-chemical policies have survived –
just.
To all those communities and councils out there who would
like to implement this remit and move to environmentally friendly
methodologies – you can – and without breaking the bank. There is
a wealth of knowledge, research and experience here in Auckland
just waiting for you to tap into.
Bypass the ‘chemical cowboy’ cheerleaders. Go to the people
doing the work, and developing and introducing not just the latest
technology, but also the projects and strategies that reduce or
eliminate the need for management – like bee parks and pollinator
berms, and wildflower gardens and meadows. Talk to the experts who wrote the best template policy in this
country twenty years ago. Talk to the councillors and people who
have held the line. They know. And their passion is contagious.
Collectively, the Auckland groups (including Weed
Management Advisory) know about successfully transitioning to
non-chemical and, because we are not perfect, the lessons learnt
over the years.
Importantly, there is no silver bullet. It is not about simply
substituting a glyphosate spray with another say, fatty acid one, or
any of the effective thermal technologies now available. It is about
taking an integrated approach. Successful natural approaches
Many councils are already doing great work reducing chemicals.
Hamilton, for example, details new mulch application machines,
and is trialling longer grass cutting heights. Other non-chemical
approaches include: - replanting or revegetating problem areas
- mulching around trees and bushes instead of spraying
- regular sweeping of gutters to prevent silt build-up, and
- designing for better maintenance – trimming is easier on
concrete edging for example.
It is here on the roadsides where one of the greatest public
exposures to chemicals comes from. So it is also here where change
to non-chemical weed control can have the greatest impact. And
there is choice.
Today we not only have hot water (which has been used
continuously on hundreds of kilometres of Auckland roads since
the early 90s) but also steam – used on the roads since 2012. Hot
foam technology is available in New Zealand and a contract in
Auckland is already in place. Organic fatty acids and mechanical
methods have also been used for decades in Auckland.
Valuing our health
It is almost unnecessary these days to detail the detrimental effectsin our streets and parks
Hana Blackmore RIWKHJURXS:HHG
0DQDJHPHQW$GYLVRU\ORRNVDWFRXQFLOZHHG
PDQDJHPHQWSUDFWLFHVDQGKRZZHFDQPDNH
RXUQHLJKERXUKRRGVVDIHUDQGKHDOWKLHUSafe weed control
Above: Hot water weed control in operation on Auckland’s North Shore.
Photos: Biothermal Technologies Ltd