The Australian Government will hold a Senate inquiry to investigate the independence of regulatory decisions made by our national pesticides regulator – the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). 

The inquiry, which has been launched in response to the Four Corners report, “The Monsanto Papers", will look at the responsiveness and effectiveness of the APVMA’s process for reviewing and reassessing the safety of agricultural chemicals in Australia, including glyphosate, and how this compares with equivalent international regulators. 

It will also investigate funding arrangements and any impact these arrangements have on independent evidence-based decision making, and other related matters (you can find out more about the inquiry here).

While this is welcome news from Canberra, the report from this inquiry is not due until 1 February 2019. We cannot wait that long for action in relation to restricting the use of glyphosate in public spaces.

Recent research has shown glyphosate is contributing to a global decline in bee populations. Our bees cannot wait until February for us to stop using a chemical that is killing them.  

We have a responsibility to those unable to protect themselves – our children, our wildlife and our environment – to do everything we can to start initiating changes at a grassroots level, and send a message loud and clear that we want action on this issue now. 

You can do this by voicing your concerns to your local council, and to retailers who still have Roundup readily available on the shelves, with glyphosate not listed as an ingredient and no warning labels. 

With more than 3,000 signatures in just over a week, we have come such a long way in our efforts to send a message to the Australian Government that we want immediate action to restrict the use of glyphosate in public spaces in Australia. But we are still a way off our target of 5,000 signatures by the end of this week – if everyone who has signed this petition can get at least one other person to sign it, I know we can cruise past this next goal.