Mum, child and dog sprayed with weed killer by Boroondara Council contractors

A horrified Kew mum “completely doused” in weed killer by Boroondara Council contractors while walking with her daughter and dog in Hays Paddock has accused the council of not taking the accident seriously and plans to move from the area.

A Kew mother says she is devastated after she, her child and their dog were accidentally “soaked” in weed killer by Boroondara Council contractors.

Kate, who didn’t want her surname published, said she now wanted to move her family away from Boroondara following the August 23 incident on a windy day at Hays Paddock.

She said she feared glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weed killers, could cause serious health issues, and she blasted the council for not taking the matter seriously and for failing to put up signs to warn people spraying was taking place.

“We were completely doused,” Kate said.

“I was walking with my three-year-old daughter and my dog … and a ute came up beside us and told us to move aside and the guy spraying behind came up directly behind.

“The reason I went to Hays Paddock was because I thought they didn’t use herbicides there.

“He should not have come that close to us. It was literally the ute and then the spraying vehicle, the man in the car could have come up minutes earlier.”

But Boroondara Council spokesman Charles Turner said the weed spray the woman was sprayed with did not contain glyphosate, and signs warning people of the weed spray works were erected at Hays Paddock a week prior to work commencing as well as on the day.

Mr Turner said contractors were expected to stop spraying if the park was busy.

But council contractors were flippant when she complained to them the wind had blown the spray all over herself and her family, Kate said.

And she said council staff failed to offer an apology after she reported what happened.

She said she and her husband were considering moving away from the area prior to the incident, but now they were convinced it was the right thing to do.

“When we got sprayed I could smell it, I could taste it in my mouth, I could feel it on my skin,” she said. “For me that put the nail in the coffin to relocate.”

Kate says the accidental spraying has cemented her plans to move away from Boroondara.

Glyphosate is used in popular weed killer brands such as Roundup that are commonly used by Melbourne councils.

The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer last year classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans”.

Cancer related compensation claims have been made against weed killer manufacturers in the United States, and a Melbourne man commenced legal action against weed killer manufacturer Monsanto, who makes Roundup, earlier this year.

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Mr Turner said the council also used a number of methods to manage weeds across the municipality as well as weed sprays, including weed steaming, hand weeding, mulch-cover and brush-cutting.

“Glyphosate is considered safe for use by the relevant Australian authorities and most

local governments are continuing to use glyphosate while trials of alternatives are considered,” he said

“(The) council regularly reviews products in the market to ensure the safest available options are being used.”

Sites where herbicides are used are listed on the council’s website, Mr Turner said.

A report investigating alternatives to glyphosate weed spray is expected to be presented to the council later this year.