Noosa River

Dr Matt Landos’s announcement, that the link between macadamia pesticides and genetic mutations in Noosa River fish is clear, requires urgent action from the state government.

From the start of 2010, the state government placed prohibitions and restrictions on the use of certain farm chemicals in defined ‘priority’ catchments of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Queensland Greens are now calling for the Noosa River to be included as a priority catchment.

‘The Noosa River catchment is a prime tourist destination as well as a commercial and recreational fishery.

‘Dr Landos’s work suggests that human and animal health are at risk from new chemical combinations introduced by macadamia growers in the catchment in the past three years.

‘Other primary producers are being put at risk by the damaging effects of this one sector.

‘If we want to retain the Noosa River’s A Class environmental rating – the only river in south east Queensland with such a rating, we need to act now to limit these chemicals which bio-accumulate,’ says Dr Libby Connors, spokesperson for the Queensland Greens.

From 1 January 2010, the Queensland Government has placed restrictions on the use of five farm chemicals in “priority Reef catchments”, i.e. the Mackay, Whitsundays, Burdekin dry tropics and Wet tropics catchments. The chemicals – extendatrazine, diuron, ametryn, hexazinone and tebuthiuron – are prohibited for

* preparation or use at places susceptible to run-off
* use on waterlogged soil
* use on areas that will be irrigated to the point of run-off within 48 hours after use
* use on a drainage depression or drainage line
* use if heavy rain is forecast for the area in the 48 hours after use
* for products containing ametryn or hexazinone, preparation or use within 20 metres of a sink hole or well
* use if the wind speed is less than 3 km/hour and more than 20 km/hour (for the latter, unless the product is applied using a shielded sprayer or below the sugar cane canopy)
* use if applied using a device with a nozzle size smaller than certain specifications.

Also, the maximum application rate for ametryn and diuron has been reduced to 2.3kg and 1.8kg active ingredient per ha/year respectively.

‘The Queensland Government has recognised the negative impacts of combinations of chemicals on the reef. It is time they acted to protect people, industry and environments in other parts of the state as well.’

Contact: Dr Libby Connors

0429 487 110