Prospect Council mayoral candidate Rachel Sanderson wants to use goats instead of glyphosate to kill weeds

Could a goat hold the answer to ridding local playgrounds and dog parks of weeds? One ex-minister, now mayoral candidate thinks so.

A Prospect mayoral candidate wants to weed out the use of poisons around children’s playgrounds and dog parks – and says setting a goat on the grass may be the solution.

Rachel Sanderson, who is running for Prospect mayor in November’s council elections, said she would move to stop the use of glyphosate to kill weeds if elected.

A Prospect councillor will also ask Tuesday night’s meeting to investigate the use of saturated steam to kill weeds, instead of the widely-used chemical.

Glyphosate, commonly sold as Roundup, has been linked to cancer cases in the US but evidence is mixed on whether it is carcinogenic.

Prospect mayoral candidate Rachel Sanderson wants to phase out the use of glyphosate. Picture: Matt Loxton

Prospect Council has confirmed it uses the substance as a weed killer, which was approved by the national regulator for agricultural chemicals.

Ms Sanderson wants to phase it out and has pledged, if elected, to “investigate alternative options – and a goat would be one of those”.

“Why wouldn’t we look at things outside the box like a goat?” she said.

“Sheep eat the grass but goats will eat the weeds that sheep won’t. They’re actually known to be quite good for that. I think kids would love it. We could loan one to start.”

Ms Sanderson said she would also consider erecting signs advising when weed killer had been sprayed or switching to steam technology and “good old fashioned weeding”.

Could a goat hold the answer to ridding local playgrounds and dog parks of weeds? Picture: Dannika Bonser

“By spraying (poison) it just dies and looks really ugly for weeks,” she said.

“I don’t think people would realise that it’s being used. They would have thought they would have stopped using it because it’s been so linked to cancer in America.”

Councillor Kristina Barnett has proposed a steam trial, after a resident complaint in August about glyphosate being used in the Prospect Garden’s playground near their grandchild.

A council report acknowledged staff had undertaken spraying in playgrounds while people were present and staff were reminded to adhere to safe work practices.

Spraying around playgrounds was conducted between 7.30am-8.30am to avoid peak usage times, the report stated.

A quote for weed steaming the council’s 16 playspaces 12 each times per year, as recommended by the contractor, was $40,800.

Roundup weed killing products have come under fire due to fears over their active ingredient, glyphosate, with claims it causes cancer. Picture: Scott Olson

“Despite ongoing investigation, a viable alternative to herbicides has not yet been found that would be either cost effective or efficient in managing weed growth on public land,” a council spokeswoman said.

Port Adelaide Enfield and Charles Sturt councils both use steam weed removal in there playgrounds, while Burnside and Walkerville councils use glyphosate, the report stated.

A landmark US trial in 2018 ordered chemical giant Monsanto to pay nearly $400m to a man who said his terminal cancer was caused by glyphosate.

At the time, the Environment Department and multiple Adelaide councils confirmed to The Advertiser that they still use the product.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has approved products containing glyphosate for use in Australia, according to their label directions.