Far North council worker temporarily stood down after complaint over chemical spray
A Far North council worker was temporarily stood down after a video emerged of her spraying a dangerous chemical towards a tourist.
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A Far North council worker was temporarily stood down after a video emerged of her spraying a herbicide towards a tourist.
A Byron Bay dentist, 35, who did not wish to be named, was holidaying in Port Douglas when a confrontation occurred at Four Mile Beach with a Douglas Shire Council staff member.
She alleges she asked the woman, who was in full protective gear including a face mask, to stop using the herbicide around her four-year-old child and “politely educate her that glyphosate is a dangerous chemical and shouldn’t be sprayed near people”.
She then claims her “gums started to tingle and my skin started itching” before noticing the worker spraying near a person exercising.
“I then noticed she was about to spray near my RV and I asked her what she was spraying, and she said poison,” she explained.
The tourist then recorded the worker “spraying within a metre of a lady walking a pram”.
The video, which was sent to Douglas Shire Council, shows the worker asking the holidaymaker “What the f**k are you doing?'” before she pumps in her direction.
She replies: “Videoing you spraying me with glyphosate, and those kids.”
The council worker then appears to say: “F**k off lady. Go back to where you come from.”
A Douglas Shire spokesman said they were “embarrassed and disappointed in the behaviour portrayed in the video.”
“Council took the matter very seriously after receiving the formal complaint,” the spokesman said.
The complaint was lodged on October 16 and a thorough investigation followed resulting in the worker being temporarily suspended.
“Council took all the necessary action to redress the situation including training and a formal apology to the complainant,” he said.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, which many allege can cause various forms of cancer. It has been banned in several countries across the globe and several Australian states are in the process of disusing it.
The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer last year classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans”.
The council spokesman said they were currently trialling methods to replace its use in public areas with organic herbicide alternatives and steam weeding.
“Douglas Shire Council has taken significant steps in its bid to move away from glyphosate in the past few years,’ he said.
“Council has invested in steam weeding technology to use in sensitive areas such as playgrounds, banned the use of the chemical north of the Daintree River and is currently trialling organic herbicide alternatives to completely replace the use of glyphosate.”
It comes as more than 60 people across Canada filed a $500-million class action lawsuit this week against the products manufacturers, Bayer and Monsanto, claiming their cancer diagnosis was linked to its use.
Meanwhile the Byron Bay mother said she hoped her experience would raise awareness.
“I’m just not sure people are aware of just how dangerous this is,” she said.
“There wasn’t even signage of poison in use and I wasn’t even given the opportunity to leave.”
Originally published as Far North council worker temporarily stood down after complaint over chemical spray
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