Douglas Shire Council’s trial of steam-weeding technology is showing positive results.
Council began its six-month trial of the steam-weeding technology in April 2016 targeted around playgrounds, local schools, sporting organisations and kerb and channel.
The trial has proved effective so far as Council strives to reduce its reliance on herbicides.
Douglas Shire Council is the first local government in Far North Queensland to trial this new technology and one of only a handful of councils in regional Australia.
The aim of the trial is to reduce the exposure of children in particular to herbicides and the amount of chemicals that enter our waterways as run-off.
Douglas Shire Council is the only local government in the world who act as custodians of two World Heritage-listed natural environments in the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef and Council is constantly looking at how we can minimise our usage of herbicides and pesticides.
The steam-weeding technology is specially designed to create super-heated water and wet steam which destroy weeds on contact, with the targeted weeds decomposing as soil humus.
Council will conduct a full assessment of how successful the steam-weeding trial has been later this year including a cost analysis.