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Pesticide Notification Plan

The Pesticide use Notification Plan has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Pesticides Regulation 1995 (the Regulation). The plan sets out how The City of Sydney will notify members of the community of pesticide applications it makes or allows to be made to outdoor public places that it owns or controls.

The Notification Plan aims to meet the community’s general right to know about pesticide applications made to outdoor public places that are owned or controlled by public authorities. The Plan allows members of the community to take action to avoid or minimize contact with pesticides, if they wish.

Pesticide Notification Plan

You can download a copy of the Pesticide Notification Plan here as a PDF file.

Download

Pesticides

The City of Sydney ensures that pesticides are applied to public places in a safe, responsible manner, minimising potential harm to the community and the environment. Pesticides are used in public places when necessary to eliminate weeds, to protect public property from pest damage, to protect the users of public places from nuisance or danger, and to meet the community expectations for aesthetically appealing parks and public open spaces.

Parks and Gardens

In  our gardens the city's priority is to use physical controls where possible in preventing weed growth. This involves minimising the bare spaces in our garden beds that allow weeds to infiltrate and covering the garden beds with a thick organic mulch. Unfortunately in some circumstance we do need to use Round up to control larger weed infestations.

In the City's parks and sportsfields areas we use a selective herbicide to control broadleaf weeds such as bindii's and clover. Preventing these lawn area  weeds  makes for a much more pleasurable experience in our parks and sportsfields

Roadways

In our roadways and public domain you can imagine it is quite difficult to prevent weeds over such a large area, The City’s contractor currently uses Round-Up for the roads and footways for the eradication of weeds. This product is registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, and is the same product used in domestic gardening.

In order to maximise weed eradication while assisting environmental safety, an additive is also added to the herbicide and water spray mixtures. This serves the purpose of minimising drift of the atomised spray and assists in adhering the herbicide to the weed itself. This means we use less herbicide and it is reaching the target weeds in a controlled manner. The city also includes an organic bio degradable indicator dye to identify where herbicide has been used.

Please note, that it is the City’s priority is to use effective non toxic treatments or the lowest toxicity pesticides available to maintain safety in the public domain and to achieve a weed free environment.

Street Trees

The City is implementing a treatment program to control the effects of Sycamore Lace Bug on mature London Plane trees. Sycamore Lace Bug is a small sap sucking insect that feeds on the leaves of London Plane trees, causing leaves to become yellow in late summer and affecting the long term health and vigour of the tree. A low toxicity systemic insecticide (Silvashield™) is injected into the trunk of the trees to effectively control the insect.

Signage

Signage will be displayed on vehicles and equipment involved in the application of pesticides through out the Council area. 

For Sports fields, ovals and courts, skate facilities and outdoor swimming pools, signage will be displayed at the main entrances of the facilities on the day of application and will remain in place after application until the end of the working day.

For reactive and emergency pesticide use in outdoor places adjacent to sensitive places, Council will provide notice by posting signs in the vicinity at the time of application.

Community Notification

The  Pesticide Notification Plan sets out how The City will notify members of the community of pesticide applications made by Council and its contractors in public places. You can download the schedule of when pesticide application will occur in your suburb. The schedule has been allocated on a week by suburb format.

Download

Notification registration

The City invites owners and occupiers of sensitive sites to register their interest to receive a copy of Council’s annual program of pesticide application.

Sensitive places are sites and or facilities designated as sensitive place under Clause 11J (1) of the Pesticide Regulation defines a sensitive place to be any:

  • School or pre-school
  • Kindergarten
  • Childcare centre
  • Hospital
  • Community health centre
  • Nursing home
  • A place declared to be a sensitive place by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) now part of the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

If you would like to be informed of the City’s annual program for weed eradication please click on the link below to download a registration form that can be returned by fax.

Download

Material Safety Data Sheets

Below is a list of links to the MSDS’s of products used in pesticide treatment throughout the Local Government Area.

Note: The documents below are all PDF's located on external websites.

 

To view PDF files you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Get Acrobat Reader Now. PDF Accessibility.

 

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Last Updated: Tuesday 27 March, 2012

Please Note:
While care is taken to ensure accuracy, the City of Sydney cannot guarantee that information expressed here is correct and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. The City of Sydney makes no warranty or undertaking, whether expressed or implied, nor does it assume any legal liability, whether direct or indirect.