Mayor's amendment to ban common weed killer shot down

Glyphosate products will continue to be used by council staff after a motion to immediately cease the chemical's usage was shot down at the last council meeting

The council will continue looking at alternate products to glyphosate, but they will still continue to use the chemical in the meantime.

COUNCIL staff will continue to use glyphosate products, in spite of concerns about the weed killer's health risks.

Councillors shot down a motion to immediately cease the chemical's use at a council meeting.

However, a trial of alternate products, voted in after mayor George Seymour first proposed removing glyphosate products from council use back in June, will continue.

Cr Seymour moved an amendment calling for the council's use of the chemical to be discontinued to "negate any known and unknown health and safety impacts to staff and the community".

The amendment failed due to no other councillor seconding it.

Speaking to the Chronicle on Friday, Cr Seymour said the chemical was considered dangerous by the World Health Organisation, which was the reason he wanted it out of the council's use.

"There's been billion-dollar judgements against the company who produce it," Cr Seymour said. "Right around the world, people are looking at whether to continue with it.

"It's a legal product, so it carries that risk of whether you take note of the judgements... or you assume because it's legal it must be safe."

Glyphosate has been at the centre of recent controversy since a United States jury in March found Roundup, developed by chemical giant Monsanto, was a "substantial factor" in causing a man's cancer.

Several Australian councils have banned the product from staff use in precaution of the health concerns.

Council documents state many alternative products on the market "include new chemical compounds which do not have the history of scientific study that glyphosate has".