The Dunedin City Council will not be rounding up the use of a popular weed killer but will be taking steps to find out if residents want them to stop its use.
Herbicide sprays, including use of glyphosate based sprays such as Roundup, are the primary method used by city council contractors to control weeds and vegetation.
The council requested a review in July last year on the use of herbicides, especially those containing glyphosate, and the report was discussed by the strategy, planning and engagement committee yesterday.
It said New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) considered glyphosate to be safe if applied in accordance with regulations and guidelines.
This was despite the chemical being described as "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Councillors took turns to speak about the health concerns they had with the use of the popular weed-killer, many noting the ongoing litigation occurring in America involving Roundup manufacturer Monsanto.
Cr Jim O’Malley — who has a background in pharmacology — said regulator bodies often lagged behind the science when it came to removing a product from the market.
"Even though at the moment our EPA has not yet made a stand on glyphosate, there’s not a definitive proof of safety," he said.
If the council was to remove glyphosate from Dunedin, residents would need to expect a lower level of service and weed control.
"I think glyphosate will eventually be looked at as having been more damaging than good,
"We need to go back and ask all of our ratepayers ... will you except the reduced level of service."
At yesterday’s meeting an amendment was passed which would see a follow-up report on using alternative methods for weed control and whether residents would accept more weeds for fewer chemicals.
The report would explore what health benefits alternative methods would provide for the environment, and what implications changing methods would have on budget and the level of service provided to Dunedin residents.
The city council has previously trialled alternative options, but they were determined to be less effective, because they had to be applied two to four times more often than herbicide sprays.
