Weed control

In sensitive areas such as waterways and wetlands, we practice physical weeding methods which include hand weeding and brush cutting. Physical weeding in these areas reduces the amount of weed seeds and herbicides in our waterways.

On hard surfaces such as major roads, laneways, shopping centres and fence lines we use a registered herbicide called glyphosate, commonly known as Round Up. Glyphosate is the most effective and cost-efficient chemical treatment for weed control in these areas.

In exotic grasslands and barren area, we use a pre-emergent chemical called simazine that prevents weed growth by blocking seeds from germinating. We do not spray this around native plants, waterways or on hard surfaces to protect our environment from run-off.

All glyphosate and simazine products registered for use in Australia have been through a robust chemical risk assessment process by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and are safe to use provided they are used as per the label instructions. Once dried down, the likelihood glyphosate can be transferred to other plants is low. On a warm day, the treatment dries as quickly as 30 minutes.

Before spraying, our teams consider the weather forecast for the next seven days. To reduce run-off into the stormwater network, our team will not spray within 60cm of a drain or if it is forecasted to rain. Instead, they may proceed with another method of weed control if appropriate.

Along roadsides, a vehicle fitted with an optical boom sprayer is used to spray weeds. It features an infra‑red beam to identify plant material and then applies herbicide to the plant. This improves the accuracy of the spraying, reduces the amount of herbicide we use, and means it can be undertaken at night to minimise disruption to traffic.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) are responsible for the assessment and registration of pesticides and veterinary medicines. All chemical treatments used by the ACT Government have been assessed and registered for use by the APVMA. Their research concludes glyphosate and simazine are safe when used as per the label instructions.

To ensure public and employee safety, chemical treatments used in Canberra are applied by trained operators in strict accordance with the label instructions, standard operating procedures and risk assessments.

Often a non-toxic colourant made from vegetable dye is added to the mix, which allows spray operators to keep track of where they have sprayed.

Preventing the growth and spread of new weeds stops invasive weeds at the source.

The team actively research and trial alternative weed control methods such as mulching and landscape design.

Sustainable practices such as mulched garden beds prevent new weed seeds from settling in the soil. It also blocks the seed’s important access to sunshine so it cannot grow as easily.

A pre-emergent herbicide called simazine is used in areas where there is little to no competition from other plants. Simazine is designed to prevent the germination of new weed seeds.

Pre-emergent herbicides help reduce the use of chemical treatments over time as the weed crops reduce and become more manageable by sustainable and physical weed control methods.