What has changed?

This review has reaffirmed a number of current operational practices albeit with minor modification which reflect changing pesticide use to control emerging pest species and achieve more effective control of target pests. These include:

• Additional pesticides commonly used on sporting grounds and in parks and bushland.
• Addition of pesticides commonly used in and around Council buildings
• Addition of information concerning vertebrate pest control programs for rabbits, foxes and wild dogs

The Blue Mountains City Council have for some time established what are considered benchmark practices in minimising the community’s exposure to pesticides that are applied as part of its pest control programs. These initiatives include;

• The establishment of the Blue Mountains City Council Chemical Sensitive Register;
• The use of the Council Communicator in the Blue Mountains Gazette and the Council’s website to alert the community to upcoming components of their weed control programs; and
• Direct landholder notification where appropriate such as the Alligator Weed control program in the lower Blue Mountains.

The minor changes coming from this review of the plan in regards to the approach that the Council has taken in notifying the community of pesticide use in public places are:

• When implementing vertebrate baiting programs ( rabbits, foxes, wild dogs), notification will be as specified in the relevant Pesticide Control Order (issued by the Environment Protection Authority) where one exists, unless the order does not specify all the information required by the Pesticide Regulation 2009.