Publicly announced herbicide, pesticide and plant growth regulator applications across New Zealand
Register established: 4 November 2026
Last updated: 4 November 2026
This register brings together publicly announced chemical spraying programmes by New Zealand councils and other public agencies, including applications in parks, reserves, roadsides, waterways and other public spaces.
Each entry identifies the location, scheduled spraying dates, products and active ingredients where disclosed, public safety information and a link to the original announcement.
Important: These are announced spraying programmes, not confirmed applications. Dates may change because of weather or operational requirements, and an advertised spraying window does not mean chemicals will be applied on every day within that period.
Monitoring commenced in November 2026. Relevant programmes that began earlier are included where their advertised application periods extend into November or beyond.
November 2026 — Public Spraying Notices
Selwyn District Council — Brookside Park
Location: Brookside Park, Selwyn District, Canterbury.
Scheduled application date: 4 November 2026.
Purpose: Trial application of a plant growth regulator.
Product: Primo Maxx.
Active ingredient: Trinexapac-ethyl.
Public safety information: No specific public safety advice has been verified.
Notice publication date: 2 November 2026
The announced trial involves a plant growth regulator rather than a conventional herbicide. The scheduled date does not establish that the application took place.
Original source: Facebook post
Kawerau District Council — Roadside and Public Area Spraying
Locations: Various streets and council-managed public areas throughout Kawerau.
Scheduled dates: 4–13 November 2026.
Products and locations:
Glyphosate 510 — Weed control and kerb maintenance
Onslow Street, River Road, Grey Street, Normanby Street, Robinson Street, Bowen Street, Tiwhatiwha Street, Fergusson Street, Hobson Street, Fitzroy Street, Gordon Street, Jervious Street, Browne Street, Fenton Mill Road, Atkinson Street, Vogel Street, Hall Street, Seddon Street, Pollen Street, Ballance Street, Stout Street and Savage Street.
Bow and Arrow — Prickle spraying
- Kawerau Cemetery
- KDC Pools
Glyphosate 510 — Additional weed control
- Jellicoe Court — weed control and prickle spraying.
- Monika Lanham — car park and steps.
- River Road — annual bedding areas.
- i-SITE — cobblestones.
- Town Centre — gutters.
- Valley Road — bollards, berms and gutters.
Public safety information: The schedule does not specify public exclusion periods or re-entry restrictions.
Council contact: Kawerau District Council — 07 306 9009.
Original source: Kawerau District Council — Spraying Schedule (PDF)
Nelson City Council — Saxton Creek and Orphanage Stream
Location: Saxton Creek and Orphanage Stream, near Garin College, Nelson.
Scheduled start: 5 November 2026.
Notice publication date: 30 October 2026.
Purpose: Chemical control of invasive aquatic pest plants.
Products / active ingredients: Not disclosed in the announcement.
Public safety information: Signage will be placed in the affected areas.
Enquiries: richard.frizzell@ncc.govt.nz
Original source: Garin College — Saxton Creek and Orphanage Stream Spraying
Waikato Regional Council — Aquatic Spraying Operations
Locations: Rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and drainage areas throughout the Waikato region.
Scheduled dates: Various dates during October and November 2026, depending on location.
Purpose: Control of invasive aquatic and semi-aquatic pest plants.
Products / active ingredients: Glyphosate and metsulfuron are identified for various locations. Some operations specify metsulfuron alone.
Application methods: Knapsack sprayers, gun and hose, mist blowers and helicopter application, depending on location.
Scheduled locations include:
| Location | Scheduled dates | Herbicides |
|---|---|---|
| Mairoa Road Drain, Williams Street Drain and Aspin Road Ponds | 22 Oct–6 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Te Puroa Road, Ngaruawahia | 27 Oct–13 Nov | Glyphosate |
| Lake Rotoroa | 4–26 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Stream at Gordonton-Puketaha Road | 4–26 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Dinsdale Roundabout, Kahikatea Park and Lincoln Street Drain | 5–26 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Stream near Wairere Drive, Logan Court and Milbrook Place | 5–26 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Hall Road Wetland | 5–26 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Mangakotukutuku Stream | 4–27 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Somerton Ponds and Kirikiriroa Stream | 4–27 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Te Otamanui Lagoon | 5–27 Nov | Glyphosate, metsulfuron |
| Lower Waikato River, Ohinewai to Mercer | 9–30 Nov | Metsulfuron |
Public safety information: Applications may occur during daylight hours when weather and tidal conditions are suitable. The council states that spraying will not take place on public holidays. Property occupiers can register for notifications relating to operational areas.
Important: Waikato Regional Council updates its operational schedule regularly. Dates may change, and a scheduled application does not confirm that spraying has occurred.
Original source: Waikato Regional Council — Aquatic Spraying Operations
Western Bay of Plenty District Council — Parks, Reserves and Public Areas
Locations: Council-managed reserves, sportsgrounds, parks, gardens, turf edges, coastal areas and other public spaces throughout the Western Bay of Plenty District.
Scheduled dates: Various dates during October, November and December 2026, depending on location. Some notices extend to 20 December 2026.
Notice publication date: 3 November 2026.
Purpose: Vegetation management, invasive pest plant control, garden and turf-edge spraying, and broadleaf and Onehunga weed control.
Products and chemicals identified: Vary by location. The council identifies glyphosate, Picloram Gel, Weed Weapon Brushweed Ultra, Enspray, triclopyr, haloxyfop, Weedmaster 470, Pulse penetrant, Estate and Lawn Clean herbicides, among other products.
Examples of scheduled locations:
- Coronation Park, Brighton Reserve, Wilson Park, Bowentown Reserve, Ōmokoroa Domain, Ōmokoroa Sportsground, Centennial Park and Fairhaven Reserve: 1–30 November 2026. Glyphosate, Picloram Gel and Weed Weapon Brushweed Ultra.
- I’Anson Reserve: 3 November–3 December 2026. Enspray, triclopyr, haloxyfop and glyphosate.
- Waihī Beach Frontal Dunes: 20 October–29 November 2026. Enspray, triclopyr, haloxyfop and glyphosate.
- Te Mata Wetland: 3 November–20 December 2026. Weedmaster 470 (glyphosate), Pulse penetrant and red marker dye.
Public safety information: The council advises visitors to look for temporary signage providing site-specific spraying details. Application dates are weather-dependent and may change.
Important: Products and application windows differ between locations. Readers should consult the original council notice for details relating to individual sites.
Original source: Western Bay of Plenty District Council — Vegetation Management and Agrichemical Spraying
Otago Regional Council — East and West Taieri Waterways
Locations: Scheduled drains and waterways in the East and West Taieri areas, including waterways associated with the Taieri River.
Scheduled dates: 1 November 2026–30 June 2027.
Notice publication date: 24 October 2026.
Purpose: Control of vegetation build-up in flood control and land drainage schemes, including overgrown willows within the Taieri River.
Products / active ingredients: Not disclosed in the public notice.
Application: Work will be undertaken by Otago Regional Council staff and external contractors.
Public safety information: The notice provides maps of the affected areas and council contact details. No specific chemical products or re-entry restrictions are identified in the notice.
Original source: Otago Regional Council — Notice of Spraying Operations: East and West Taieri
Otago Regional Council — Tokomairaro and Lower Clutha Waterways
Locations: Scheduled drains and waterways in the Tokomairaro and Lower Clutha areas, including the Lower Clutha Matau and Koau river branches.
Scheduled dates: 1 November 2026–30 June 2027.
Notice publication date: 24 October 2026.
Purpose: Control of vegetation build-up in flood control and land drainage schemes, including overgrown willows in the Lower Clutha Matau and Koau river branches.
Products / active ingredients: Not disclosed in the public notice.
Application: Work will be undertaken by Otago Regional Council staff and external contractors.
Public safety information: The notice provides maps of the affected areas and council contact details. No specific chemical products or re-entry restrictions are identified in the notice.
Original source: Otago Regional Council — Notice of Spraying Operations: Tokomairaro and Lower Clutha
Understanding the Scheduled Dates
The dates in this register are taken from publicly announced spraying schedules.
Upcoming: The advertised application period has not yet started.
Current window: The advertised application period includes today’s date. This does not confirm that spraying is taking place today.
Past scheduled window: The advertised period has ended. This does not confirm that spraying was carried out.
Where a council provides a broad spraying window, we retain the advertised dates rather than assume that applications occurred on particular days.
About This Register
Not every public spraying announcement will be identified, and the absence of a location from this register does not mean that spraying has not been planned or undertaken.
Information may change after an announcement is published. For the latest scheduling details, safety precautions or access restrictions, please consult the original council or agency notice.
Historical entries will be retained after their advertised application periods expire.
For further information about this initiative, including its purpose, limitations and how to report missing notices, visit:
New Zealand Public Spraying Alerts — Where and When Councils Plan to Spray
No More Glyphosate NZ — Independent Testing • Research • Transparency
Image Source & Attribution
The feature image on this page was created using AI-assisted image generation from an original concept developed by No More Glyphosate NZ and refined for publication in Canva. It is an illustrative representation, not a photograph of an actual spraying operation.
We recognise that AI technology has an environmental footprint. However, as a small, community-funded organisation working with limited resources, we must make practical choices about how best to use the time and funding available to us.
Our priority is to direct those resources towards independent testing, research and public information. AI-assisted imagery is one of the tools that helps us communicate our findings without diverting funds from that work.
