Background

This Notification of Pesticide Use was prepared in accordance with the Lord Howe Island Pesticide Use Notification Plan 2023 (PUNP), which is required under the Pesticides Regulation 2017. The PUNP sets out how the Lord Howe Island Board (LHIB) will notify members of the community of pesticide applications it makes or allows to be made to public places that it owns or controls. This includes two householders per year to notify the public which pesticides the LHIB may use.

The aim of this notification is to meet the community’s general right to know about pesticide applications made to outdoor public places that are owned or controlled by public authorities. This allows members of the community to act to avoid contact with pesticides if they wish. The LHIB ensures that pesticides are applied to public places in a safe, responsible manner, minimising harm to the community and the environment.

Pesticide use by the LHIB

The LHIB uses pesticides in public places only when necessary to eliminate weeds, invertebrate and vertebrate pests, to protect public places and LHIB built and environmental assets from pest damage, to protect and enhance the Islands World Heritage value and to protect the users of public places from nuisance and danger. 

The majority of pesticides used by the LHIB consists of applying herbicides for weed control, insecticides for insect control, placing rodenticides in locked bait stations in the case of a rodent incursion and applying fungicides to treat Phytophthora and Myrtle Rust.

LHIB pest and weed management programs aim to use best practice techniques; that is, methods that are target-specific, humane, and cost-effective. This often requires an integration of a range of control methods.

Pesticides may be applied in various locations, including:

Playground and Oval; picnic areas; vacant Crown Land within the Settlement area; road verges and reserves; Windy Point footpath; airport grounds and airstrip; the former powerhouse grounds and surrounding buildings; the Community Hall grounds; Post Office grounds; Hospital grounds; satellite dish grounds; jetty buildings; lagoon foreshore; LHIB residences; LHI Cemetery; PPP boundaries and fence lines, LHIB reforestation areas. Weed eradication works will be undertaken throughout the settlement, the PPP, Transit Hill, Stevens Reserve and other crown reserves and roadsides/revegetation areas; working up to and including track edges.

Pesticide use notification in public areas

The PUNP sets out how the LHIB will notify members of the community of pesticide applications made by the LHIB to public places that it owns or controls.

In outdoor recreation areas, cemetery and roads, road reserves, utility or other easements accessible to the public, walking tracks and pathways, camping grounds: 

• signs will be displayed in the general treatment area or main entrance immediately prior to pesticide use and will remain in place at least until the product has dried. Where the pesticide label, permit or Pesticide Control Order requires a longer period of signage, this will be followed.

In sensitive areas such as the school or pre-school, hospital, playground, or any other place declared to be a sensitive place by the Environment Protection Authority:

• the LHIB aims to minimise pesticide use in these areas where possible, 
• signs will be displayed in the general application area or main entrance 24 hours prior to and 24 hours after pesticide application, and
• information on the forward program for broad scale and/or spot herbicide use will be published on the LHIB website or distributed via Householder at least 24 hours prior to use and the occupiers of the buildings and surrounding buildings that are within 20 meters of sensitive places will be provided with 24 hours prior notice via telephone, email or fax (whichever is most practicable).

In cases where emergency pesticide applications in public places are required to deal with pests or pathogens that pose an immediate health hazard or that are a threat to public health, biosecurity or the environment as determined by the LHIB, the LHIB will:

• where possible, provide notice immediately before use to occupiers of any residences that are within approximately 20 meters of the emergency pesticide application/s or sensitive place, by telephone or door-knock, or 
• provide notice by placing signs nearby at the time of the application, depending upon what is practicable. 

If this is not possible, the LHIB will provide information at the LHIB administration office [02 6563 2066], or information can be obtained from the person applying the pesticide on site, if requested.

Product/s and active constituents that may be used

For foliar spray

Clear Up Bio: active constituent: Glyphosate 360g/L;

Fusillade: active constituent: Fluazifop-p present as butyl ester28g/L;

Associate: active constituent: Metsulfuron Methyl 600g/kg;

Metmac 600: active constituent: Metsulfuron Methyl 600g/kg;

Spearhead: active constituent: Clopyralid 20g/L 15g/L, Diflufenican 300g/L and MCPA, 

Apparent Ravage: active constituent: 340g/L MCPA present as Dimethylamine Salt 80g/L DICAMBA,

Apparent Salvo 212: active constituent: 212g/L Fluazifop-p

Sierraron G: active constituent: Di-chlobenil 67.5g/Kg;

Starane: active constituent: Fluroxypr 333g/L + diesel.

Apparent Paraffinic Oil Adjuvant: active constituent: 582g/L Paraffinic oil 120g/L Nonyl Phenol Ethoxylate 120g/L Alcohol Ethoxylate.

Apparent Wetter 1000: active constituent: 1000g/L Nonionic Ethoxylates.

Apparent Devour 1020 Penetrant: active constituent: 1020g/L Polyether Modified Polysiloxane.

Bigfoot Blue Spray Colourant: active constituent: 93 g/L Sulphonated Aromatic Dye.

Protec Plus Spray Adjuvant: active constituent: Esterified canola oil @700g/L and non-ionic surfactants.

Bioweed Organic Herbicide Concentrate: active constituent: Pine Oil - Terpene alcohols and saponified fatty acids.

Grazon Extra: active constituent: 300g/L Triclopyr 100g/L Picloram 8g/L Aminopyralid.

Cut and paint application

Clear Up Bio: active constituent: Glyphosate 360g/L.

Associate: active constituent: Metsulfuron Methyl 600g/kg.

Safari:  active constituent: (Garlon) tri-clopyr 600g/L.

Vigilant II Herbicide Gel: active constituents: 4.47 g/L aminopyralid present as the triisopropanolamine salt 44.7 g/L picloram present as the potassium salt.

Control of the African Big Headed Ant (Pheidole magacephala)

Amdro: active constituent: 7.3g/Kg Hydramethylnon;

Distance Plus: active constituent: 5g/kg pyriproxyfen;

Advion Ant Gel: active constituent: 0.5 g/kg Indoxacarb.

Vanquish ant bait: active constituent: 0.06g/kg Fipronil.

Maxforce Quantum: active constituent: 0.3g/L Imidacloprid.

Control of various insect pests of turf, lawns, plantings, buildings and biosecurity risks

Chaindrite Bouncer 100SC T & O Multi insecticide: active constituent: Bifenthrin100g/L pyrethroid.

Tempo SC Ultra Pest Control Concentrate: active constituent: Beta-cyfluthrin 11.8% pyrethroid.

Advian Cockroach Gel: active constituent: 6g/L Indoxacarb.

Yates Success: active constituent: 5g/L Spinetoran.

Rodent monitoring stations in and around buildings and sheds

Roban blocks: active constituent: 0.05 g/kg Difenacoum containing Denatonium Benzoate as bittering agent (as per the label).

Rodent eradication. Only to be used in an emergency, in the event of an incursion

Bainbridge bait blocks (rodenticide): active constituent: 0.005% Brodifacoum.

Treatment of Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Medley 50G Systemic granular fungicide: active constituent: 50g/kg Metalaxyl.

Emergency treatment of Myrtle Rust incursion

Amistar / Mirador 250 SC fungicide and other registered products containing 250 g/L azoxystrobin as its only active constituent.

Amistar WG fungicide and other registered products containing 500 g/kg azoxystrobin as its only active constituent.

Bayfidan 250 EC fungicide and Management plan for myrtle rust on the national parks estate 9 other registered products containing 250 g/L triadimenol as its only active constituent.

Saprol fungicide and other registered products containing 190 g/L triforine as its only active constituent.

Tilt 250 EC systemic fungicide and other registered products containing 250 g/L propiconazole as its only active constituent.

Tombstone Duo fungicide and other registered products containing Tebuconazole (200 g/L) and Trifloxystrobin (100 g/L) as its only active constituent.

For further information please contact Cristina Venables, Team Leader World Heritage, Lord Howe Island Board on 02 65632066 ext 26 or [email protected]