Letters
Better spraying solutions sought Q I spent seven years on a Council water advisory committee because I felt strongly about herbicide spraying in the shire. It was a great exercise and I learned much. Achieve? Not so much, a ‘register for chemical sensitive people’ (which is great) and a ‘ safety policy’ for council workers applying the spray which didn’t really do anything, because shortly after Council started using contractors for the job. I remember talking to Leichardt and Shepparton Council staff about their overall good experience with the Wipuna steam sprayer and passing this on to council staff. Fast forward not quite ten years later: just imagine how dumbstruck I was recently on a morning walk when I came closer to this contractorspraying ute with a big sign on the back, ‘Chemical Free Weed Control’.
I thought I was hallucinating until Paul Sommers introduced himself to me and explained that this is his steam-spraying truck and he was treating the playground here at Tallowood. Now imagine my joy about this obvious advancement. In the recent news Council’s Mr Holloway brings up two very boring points. Regrowth: great, it shows the soil isn’t totally infertile. Secondly, ever noticed that the roadsides (playgrounds, sporting fields and pavements) are being sprayed and/or slashed several times a year? To me this indicates regrowth and tells me that herbicides, like cortisone, only work while they are used. Seems to be on par with the steam sprayer. By the way, the steam sprayer in Shepparton comes in handy to clean public toilets, pavements and more.
The costs: why not actually come up with a complete cost analysis? The savings will be obvious. As a parent, rate- and taxpayer I ask Council to stop supporting multinationals telling us how to poison our environment and continue supporting local businesses like Paul Sommers to keep our natural heritage healthy. Iris Detenhoff Mullumbimby
On the tracks
stages. First, they support a cycleway and have the rails and any salvageable steel ripped up so that there will be absolutely no chance of a future railway. Next, a cycleway is built and after a little time elapses councils find the cost of maintaining the cycleway has become prohibitive. In order to recoup the costs of maintenance to the ratepayers the councils then decide to sell the publicly owned railway land to the developers. Mission accomplished.
By the way, until about a month ago the list of NSW registered lobbyists was available on the NSW parliament’s website. It’s not there any more. The federal list of all 268 registered federal lobbyists is still on the APH website. Why has the list of state-registered lobbyists disappeared? Peggy Balfour Mullumbimby
In reply to Garth Kindred (Letters, December 2): Garth, you painted a very idyllic scenario of how the CasinoMurwillumbah rail line could be. However I have a more realistic scenario for the railway. A company already formed with shareholders sees the potential profits to be made from all that vacant land, the entire rail corridor, that could be developed for real estate/housing. They take a politician or two out to lunch and plan the
Q There
may be some question as to the efficiency of killing weeds with steam but glysophates don’t seem to be all that effective either. Some months ago on the track from Tallow to the Oasis Resort the bitou and lantana was sprayed (presumably with glysophate as there were health warning notices erected at the time), for a couple of metres on both sides of the track between the beach and
Q I am impressed with Garth Kindred’s splendid vision for trains back on the northern
the fire trail. The lantana has not (yet) grown back but the bitou has. What this tactic intended to achieve I’m not sure. If the bitou hadn’t resprouted, there are huge swathes of bitou immediately surrounding what was sprayed that could easily recolonise from seed. I’ve read that pine oil is an effective weed killer on the north coast. We have a problem with camphor laurel. I have often wondered why oil couldn’t be extracted from the leaves as is tea tree oil. I think pure camphor oil could be used as a weed killer, diluted as an insecticide and further diluted as an insect repellent. This could create a new local industry or provide a second string to the bow of those that are already making tea tree oil. David Gilet Byron Bay rivers tracks. It carries huge merit and is backed up by this man’s longstanding commitment to support of his local community. It only requires a few philanthropic locals to achieve fruition. It is also a positive sign that longstanding local cyclist Robin Harrison supports the idea of keeping the rail option an open possibility into the future. Locals and holiday-makers would use this service. Sarah Smith Mullumbimby
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