An Arrowtown woman who spent two days in bed with respiratory problems is an example of people being affected by the overuse of herbicide sprays, Arrowtown Village Association committee member Jean Britton says.
Mrs Britton addressed her concerns about sprays to the Queenstown Lakes District Council utilities committee on Tuesday, asking for the council to speak to its contractor.
"A friend was out for a walk the other day . . . she suffers from chest problems anyway, but she was walking along the street and got this burning sensation in her throat.
"She put a hanky over her mouth and turned the corner to find a man spraying herbicide.
"He was waving herbicide up and down the street.
"She spent two days in bed after that with respiratory problems."
Mrs Britton said a further example of overuse was another person telling her about a "young guy going around the lamp post".
"When he was finished that area he decided that he'd go down somebody's hedge."
She said herbicides needed to be used carefully and in some countries their use was banned.
"In New Zealand we are way, way behind. It's a time factor, but councils have got to change their attitude. Councils are the worst offenders at overuse of herbicides."
Mrs Britton said while the "health factor" was serious, the effects did nothing for the "clean, green image".
"If you have been and had a look around Arrowtown and seen all the brown patches . . . it looks awful and it's not a good advertisement. It really is a major concern.
"I really think that most people out there would prefer to see a few blades of grass up around a lamp post in Arrowtown. We've got a country village; we don't need brown patches."
Utilities Committee acting chairman Lyal Cocks said the issue would be addressed with the council's contractor.
After the meeting, QLDC parks and open spaces director Paul Wilson said it was not a contract the parks division looked after.
However, herbicides in parks were strictly controlled under the council's contract, Mr Wilson said.
"We have quite tight controls with chemical usage - they have to be certified, [users must] apply it under the New Zealand standards, put signs up, use the least toxic chemical . . . use it at a time of day where there are the least number of people around," he said.
QLDC infrastructure general manager Mark Kunath could not be reached for comment..
