Local councils around Australia are banning the use of glyphosate, phasing it out or conducting reviews of its use because of health and safety concerns about workers who have suffered extensive exposure to the herbicide which has been linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Councils which have banned glyphosate range from City of Bassendean, Cook Shire Council in far north Queensland, through to Fairfield City Council and Georges River Council in NSW, down to Moyne Shire and Warrnambool City Council in Victoria.

The Victorian Government has also begun a six-week review into glyphosate use, and many other councils including Sydney’s Willoughby, Ku-ring-gai, Sutherland Shire and Waverley Councils are also conducting their own reviews.

The bans and reviews come after chemical giant Monsanto was ordered to pay more than $300 million to a dying man in California who used Roundup, which contains glyphosate, during his job as a school ground keeper.

 I’m calling on the Rockingham City Council to find a safe, cost effective alternative and restrict the use of glyphosate in public areas immediately. This is for our communities safety and the safety of our City workers using this product.  

Glyphosate Herbicides are Now Banned or Restricted in 18 Countries Worldwide, most recently Vietnam phasing the product out by 2020.

The Cancer Council has called for more research into specific potential risks from the chemical, but urged the public to maintain faith in the present science.

CEO Sanchia Aranda said the non-specific research cited by the plaintiff's lawyers required more attention.

"It is strong enough to suggest the association with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is worth investigating; we would like to see the global community do more work," Professor Aranda said.

With the mounting attention this is getting, and the more Councils and organisations  restrict the use, the more pressure communities are placing on our Local Governments to protect them.

MELBOURNE based legal firm Carbone Lawyers has confirmed it has launched an Australia-first lawsuit against Bayer for the role its product Roundup played in causing cancer to Carbone Lawyers' client Michael Ogalirolo.

"We've been contacted by landscape gardeners, council workers and farmers, all professions where there is a high exposure to glyphosate."

Suggested alternate methods for weed control:

• the use of the glyphosate can be eliminated by use of alternative weed control methods (such as mechanical slashing) that present lower risks, a registered ready-to-use diluted form of the herbicide is available, natural solutions such as vinegar and salt solutions, weed steamers.

We are urging Rockingham to take the higher moral ground, and show our community their health and safety is our number one priority.

Please sign and share this petition for City of Rockingham to find a non-toxic, cost effective solution for weed control. 

South West Eco Army �