Our Opinion – Weed concerns grow

Letters to the editor on this page follow up on the issue of increased spraying of Roundup, a suspected carcinogen, to control weeds in local parks. This began recently, after Council’s decision during its Long Term Plan process to replace mechanical methods, such as weedeaters, with spraying Roundup (glyphosate). Now locals are seeing the effects in brown edges as the grass is killed off in their reserves. The first spraying of edging began on October 1 and the next round begins in January. Each site gets four edging sprays per year.

The policy, which also includes less frequent weeding of public gardens, is described by Hibiscus & Bays Local Board chair Julia Parfitt as a drop in service levels and was to save ratepayers’ money, partly through redundancies among those who do the work.

Although local boards have responsibility for parks and reserves, it turns out they have little say on crucial matters such as this. Our local board has a stated policy that includes an emphasis on non-toxic methods of weed control, yet this was not considered by the governing body. The local board has no ability to enter into, or vary, a contract, leaving it powerless as the governing body went over its head in making these changes. At the same time, the local board was advised it would have to pay just over $160,000 per annum if it wanted to bring back the earlier level of service – something Mrs Parfitt says puts the local board in an impossible position, unable to put its own preference for non toxic weed control into action.

It’s a further example of disempowerment of local communities under the Auckland Council model, with our representatives who sit on the local board left to cop the flack for decisions made higher up.

Meanwhile Auckland Transport (AT) is in the process of decision-making on whether to spray the road corridor with glyphosate, rather than adopt the hot water method. That decision was originally to go before the AT board in September, but was deferred for a third time last month because the board has yet to receive and analyse a report that it commissioned into the costs of different weed control methods by Price Waterhouse Coopers.

As the unsightly evidence of Roundup use is now out there in the community for all to see it’s an issue that, like weeds themselves, is unlikely to go away anytime soon.