Organisers of a petition signed by more than 600 people asking the Rotorua Lakes Council to stop using glyphosate, especially on parks and road edges, say they feel as though the council has started to listen.
Petition organisers Jenny Lux, Joy Maskell and Michael Staite along with supporter Green Party MP Steffan Browning presented the petition to mayor Steve Chadwick this week.
The petition was organised by Mrs Lux, Ms Maskell and Chris Lambdin, who are all members of the Brown Owl Food Group, an organic food group that focuses on health and wellbeing. The group believe the herbicide used to control weeds is dangerous to people's health - although the mayor says the Medical Officer of Health has reassured her the public's health is not at risk.
Mrs Lux said the presentation went well.
"They [the council] are working with the Tauranga City Council and the Christchurch City Council who are two of the more progressive councils on glyphosate who are working on trials of alternatives such as hot water and hot foam and hot steam.
"We feel like the council has started to listen and they're actually looking at other councils who are moving in the right direction which gives us some hope."
She said the council had agreed to go back to their contractors and ask them not to overspray which she described as "quite encouraging".
"We did ask them to take special care of our tamariki this summer because although some changes might come through the long term plan, which is starting next year, that still leaves the children and the parks vulnerable this summer."
She said the issue was important enough they had given up their time to organise a petition.
"I think it's vital that people start to realise that spraying any chemical has consequences. This campaign is about parks and streets, the thing is you can choose whether you are going to eat an organic food or a not organic food, but if it's being sprayed out in the environment that you are going to the council has a duty of care to take of people."
Mrs Chadwick said she had a "constructive and open" discussion with the petition organisers.
She said the petition would be passed on to the appropriate staff for their consideration.
"Our awareness of this has been heightened and I'm aware there was a meeting recently between the petitioners and council staff. The petitioners want council to trial alternative weed control methods this coming summer but I have told them I can't commit to that - this is really an operational matter."
She said the council was always open to considering alternatives.
"The council is guided by best practice and we've been reassured by our local Medical Officer of Health the public's health is not at risk. We're aware alternatives are being trialled in Tauranga and we'll be interested in the outcomes of those trials.
"Anything the council might decide to do in future would need to be balanced against the level of public risk as well as what's effective, efficient and cost-effective."