❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses community concerns regarding glyphosate use on public lands, seeking assurance on safety, notification, monitoring, and local government oversight. The Minister's response affirms safety when used as directed, outlines existing regulations, and reports compliance.
AnsweredQoN 1451Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
GLYPHOSATE
— CLASSIFICATION
1451. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the recent classification of glyphosate as a class
2A probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
(1) Can the minister
advise whether the regulation and oversight of the application and use of
herbicides and pesticides on public and private land is appropriate and offers
sufficient safeguards and protections for the community?
(2) Can the
minister advise what actions he will take in response to community concerns
about the lack of sufficient notification of the spraying of herbicides and
pesticides on public lands, especially around areas where young children may
come into direct contact with sprayed vegetation?
(3) Can the
minister provide details of what monitoring is being done and what studies have
been conducted in Western Australia to ascertain whether any parks, roadside
verges, school ovals and gardens and other public lands have been contaminated
with chemicals such as glyphosate or benzene from weed spraying or any other
causes?
(4) Is the
minister confident that all WA local governments are effectively overseeing and
ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and standards by operators
applying pesticides and herbicides in their local area?
— CLASSIFICATION
1451. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the recent classification of glyphosate as a class
2A probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
(1) Can the minister
advise whether the regulation and oversight of the application and use of
herbicides and pesticides on public and private land is appropriate and offers
sufficient safeguards and protections for the community?
(2) Can the
minister advise what actions he will take in response to community concerns
about the lack of sufficient notification of the spraying of herbicides and
pesticides on public lands, especially around areas where young children may
come into direct contact with sprayed vegetation?
(3) Can the
minister provide details of what monitoring is being done and what studies have
been conducted in Western Australia to ascertain whether any parks, roadside
verges, school ovals and gardens and other public lands have been contaminated
with chemicals such as glyphosate or benzene from weed spraying or any other
causes?
(4) Is the
minister confident that all WA local governments are effectively overseeing and
ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and standards by operators
applying pesticides and herbicides in their local area?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) Yes; it is
safe when the product is used according to label directions. Use in accordance
with the label directions has been confirmed as safe by the national regulator—the
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority—and European
regulators.
(2) The Health
(Pesticides) Regulations 2011 require signage to be erected when spraying
pesticide in public places.
(3) The
Department of Health investigates all complaints it receives. The department
advises that to date it has found no evidence of misapplication of pesticides
by local governments.
(4) Yes;
councils are required to comply with the Health (Pesticides) Regulations 2011.
The Department of Health has produced a detailed guideline to assist councils
in the management of pesticides in pest control programs, and many councils
have adopted the guidelines. The Department of Health environmental health
directorate follows up all complaints about alleged misapplication of
pesticides in Western Australia, and in all but a very few cases has found that
local governments and their contractors comply with relevant legislation and
standards.
question.
(1) Yes; it is
safe when the product is used according to label directions. Use in accordance
with the label directions has been confirmed as safe by the national regulator—the
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority—and European
regulators.
(2) The Health
(Pesticides) Regulations 2011 require signage to be erected when spraying
pesticide in public places.
(3) The
Department of Health investigates all complaints it receives. The department
advises that to date it has found no evidence of misapplication of pesticides
by local governments.
(4) Yes;
councils are required to comply with the Health (Pesticides) Regulations 2011.
The Department of Health has produced a detailed guideline to assist councils
in the management of pesticides in pest control programs, and many councils
have adopted the guidelines. The Department of Health environmental health
directorate follows up all complaints about alleged misapplication of
pesticides in Western Australia, and in all but a very few cases has found that
local governments and their contractors comply with relevant legislation and
standards.
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