Gone with the Wind – Dust to take off with Paraquat on the Chopping Block‍

‍Tuesday 1 October 2024

‍Dust storms such as those that blanketed Mildura in 2019 which risk highway fatalities could be more frequent if proposed pesticide rules herald the return of heavy tillage farming, Member for Mallee Dr Webster said today.

“The pesticides regulator is proposing slashing the amount of paraquat and diquat farmers can use, below current recommended minimums,” Dr Webster said.

“Farmers will have to return to tillage practices they have almost abandoned thanks to prudent and safe application of paraquat and diquat.  Moving away from no-till to heavy tillage methods will disturb topsoil stability and moisture, and lead to a return of heavy dust storms which can be very dangerous for road users and residents alike.”

The Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority’s (APVMA) review proposes limiting knock-down to 820 millilitres per hectare (reportedly well below current application levels), will make control of weeds like Fleabane and Ryegrass near impossible to manage without returning to heavier tillage methods.

An ABC Landline program broadcast at the start of September linked paraquat use to the incidence of Parkinson’s Disease, claiming that children were being ‘coated head to toe in chemicals’ and spraying without gloves or a mask.

The APVMA stated in response:

‍The articles published on 31 August 2024 and 11 September 2024 claim that there is “a growing number of independent studies linking paraquat to the incurable neurodegenerative condition.”

This statement is misleading. Conclusions of the review conducted by APVMA, as well as the review undertaken by the US EPA, do not support the claim that there is a growing body of evidence indicating a causal link between exposure to paraquat and the development of Parkinson’s disease.

“Given Labor’s track record of knee-jerk reactions to sensationalist reporting on agriculture, I have written to Agriculture Minister Julie Collins about retaining sensible pesticide practices.  I urged her to listen to the science, not sensationalist reporting, and listen to the farmers who responsibly apply paraquat and diquat to modern standards.  The last thing we want are dust storms and fatalities in the Millewa, Wimmera, Mallee and beyond,” Dr Webster said.

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