Whakatāne District Council Herbicide Use and Public Space Spraying

As part of the No More Glyphosate NZ Council Herbicide Transparency Project, we asked councils across New Zealand about herbicide use in public spaces, the products being used, the policies governing their use, and whether those practices have been formally reviewed.

Whakatāne District Council identified glyphosate, Tordon Gold, Victory and haloxyfop among the herbicides currently used in public spaces. It also provided information about where these herbicides are used and, in most cases, how frequently or under what circumstances they are applied.

The Council said its current approach to herbicide use has not been formally reviewed. However, it advised that it follows trials undertaken by larger or neighbouring councils, including alternative weed-control methods such as steam and salt.

Quick Summary

What We Learned

Whakatāne District Council uses several herbicides for different weed-management purposes across parks, reserves, sports fields and Sullivan Lake.

Glyphosate is used across parks and reserves to control edge growth, with applications three to four times annually. It is also applied to the surface and edges of Sullivan Lake to control aquatic weed.

Tordon Gold and Victory are used on sports fields to control broadleaf weeds. The Council said the need for treatment is determined through an annual New Zealand Sports Turf Institute sports field assessment. Only fields identified through that assessment as requiring treatment are sprayed, with those fields treated once each year.

Haloxyfop is used to control selected grasses, including kikuyu, in selected areas. Unlike the regular edge-control programme, this is undertaken only when required. The Council gave the example of its use before dune planting where kikuyu is present.

Products Identified

Application Locations and Frequency

The Council provided relatively specific information about where herbicides are applied and the frequency or circumstances of treatment.

Parks and reserves: Glyphosate is applied to control edge growth three to four times each year.

Sullivan Lake: Glyphosate is applied to the surface and edges of the lake to control aquatic weed. The Council did not specify the frequency of these applications.

Sports fields: Tordon Gold and Victory are used for broadleaf weed control. Sports fields are assessed annually by the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute, and only those identified as requiring treatment are sprayed. Where treatment is required, spraying occurs once each year.

Selected grass-control areas: Haloxyfop is used as required to control selected grasses such as kikuyu. The Council cited treatment prior to dune planting, where kikuyu is present, as an example.

Policies and Guidance

Whakatāne District Council said the use of all herbicides is undertaken in accordance with Environmental Protection Authority guidelines.

It also advised that glyphosate use at Sullivan Lake is undertaken in accordance with the conditions of Resource Consent RM19-039.

No separate Council herbicide policy, Standard Operating Procedure or other operational guidance was supplied with the response.

Review History

Whakatāne District Council said its current approach to herbicide use in public spaces has not been formally reviewed.

However, the Council said it follows what larger or neighbouring councils have trialled for weed control, giving steam and salt as examples.

The response does not state that Whakatāne District Council currently uses those alternative methods, only that it follows what other councils have trialled.

Documents Provided

No separate supporting documents were supplied with the LGOIMA response.

The Council’s response did, however, identify Resource Consent RM19-039 as governing glyphosate use at Sullivan Lake.

Observations

Whakatāne District Council’s response provides a useful breakdown of herbicide use by purpose rather than simply supplying a list of products. In particular, it identifies different approaches for routine edge control, aquatic weed management, sports field treatment and targeted grass control.

The annual assessment of sports fields is also notable. According to the Council, only fields identified as requiring treatment through the annual New Zealand Sports Turf Institute assessment are sprayed with Tordon Gold and Victory, with those fields treated once each year.

The Council has not formally reviewed its overall approach to herbicide use. Its response indicates instead that it looks to trials undertaken by larger or neighbouring councils, including trials of non-herbicide methods such as steam and salt.

The reference to Resource Consent RM19-039 also shows that glyphosate use at Sullivan Lake is subject to specific consent conditions, although a copy of that consent was not supplied as part of this response.

Why This Matters

Councils manage a wide range of public spaces on behalf of their communities. Understanding what products are being used, where they are applied, and how decisions are made helps contribute to greater transparency around weed management in public areas.

The Council Transparency Project aims to build a nationwide public record of herbicide management practices across New Zealand local authorities so residents can better understand what is happening in their own communities.

Information Request Details

Image Source & Attribution

The feature image on this page was created using AI-assisted image generation based on a concept developed by No More Glyphosate NZ and refined for publication in Canva.