Rundle comes to the defence of maligned weedkiller

Nationals MLA Peter Rundle has called on the State Government to stop raising concerns about glyphosate and instead back the science supporting it.

The member for Roe said a ban on the herbicide would have a detrimental impact on farming across WA.

“The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is our national regulator and reports the chemical glyphosate is safe to use, provided it is used per the label instructions,” he said.

“The banning of this widely used herbicide would mean a return to far more toxic chemicals and over-tilling of the soil.”

Last month, The Nationals attacked the concept of a glyphosate ban by slamming Labor MLA Cassie Rowe after she labelled the popular herbicide the “asbestos of our time”.

Mr Rundle said if a ban was to be called for, there needed to be scientific facts supported by rigorous investigations.

He said for farmers to produce enough food for global needs while storing carbon and soil nutrients in the process, they needed to use the safest and most efficient tools.

“Glyphosate is one of these tools and as the APVMA have stated categorically on a number of occasions, is safe to use as long as it is used according to the label,” he said.

“No farmer would knowingly overuse or misuse a chemical or herbicide. As individuals, we want to protect our health, that of our family and that of the consumer.”

Mr Rundle, a Katanning farmer, said the chemical has been used for more than 40 years.

“I call on the WA Government to heed the science and assure farmers they will not have to fight another battle to preserve their evolved and safe farming practices,” he said.