Giant leap forward for pesticide management in NSW

Friday, 29 October 1999 10:00

The government's release of the Pesticides Bill 1999 represents a giant leap forward for the regulation and management of pesticides in NSW and comes not a moment too soon in the wake of a number of pesticide disasters in the past two weeks, Total Environment Centre said today.

"It's been a long time in the making but the new Pesticides Bill has arrived as promised," said Mr Jeff Angel, Director Total Environment Centre.

"The overhaul of the 21 year old Act was desperately needed to address issues of pesticide pollution in the country and city. We urgently need better controls on pesticides to ensure the environment, farmers, children and other members of the community are no longer victims of chemical trespass and to ensure a genuine clean green agriculture image can be created".

"In the past two weeks there have already been a number of major incidents involving pesticides, and this is just the beginning of the intensive spraying season. A school bus in Narromine was forced to drive through a cloud of pesticide in one instance, while a school of 800 children was exposed to pesticide drift from roadside spraying of herbicides, " said Ms Jo Immig, Chemicals Campaigner with Total Environment Centre.

"Cattle producers and abattoirs are also extremely upset about the prospect of further damage to their industry this season from endosulfan residues off cotton crops. They should be supporting the legislation to obtain better protection".

"TEC will be looking at the Bill in detail and advising community groups and parliamentarians of any improvements. We will be working to ensure that critical parts of the Bill are enacted as soon as possible."

"Important issues for the community and environment include notification, annual public reporting of pesticide use and risk reduction programs and better recourse under the law if they are harmed by pesticides," Mr Angel concluded.