A recently released scientific paper on the health of the Richmond River has found a mix of pesticides (herbicides, fungicides and insecticides) at dangerous levels.
The finding begs the question as to what level of toxicity exists in other waterways in the Northern Rivers, given there are similar industries around the region.
The generally poor health of Richmond River, which runs into the sea at Ballina, is a well-known unresolved issue that came to prominence decades ago.
The latest scientific paper, called Pesticide occurrence in a subtropical estuary, Australia: Complementary sampling methods, was co-authored by Dr Kirsten Benkendorff from Southern Cross University.
It was published in the Journal of Environmental Pollution, and can be downloaded at www.sciencedirect.com.
The paper explains, ‘Chronic exposure to the toxic compounds in pesticides can interfere with the normal function of the endocrine system in non-target organisms, even at residual concentrations’.
The ABC’s Bronwyn Herbert and Kim Honan did a good job of reporting the findings on December 14, and sought comment from sugarcane and macadamia industry reps and relevant regulatory authorities (see more at tinyurl.com/2dmvatcf).
According to the 14-page scientific paper, ‘Most of the chemicals detected in the study are registered for use in the production of sugarcane’. Herbicides were the dominant type found.
Lax regulation
The paper also highlighted how lax Australian governments are with approving pesticides that are banned in other countries.
The herbicide Atrazine was found in the samples, say the authors, and while it is still approved for use in Australia, ‘It is banned in many countries in the European Union: France, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria and Italy, and it is under review for potential bans in other countries’.
Questions
There are some unanswered questions from the study’s findings, like why did it take so long for the study to be released? The data was collected in 2020–21.
And, given there are similar industries in Byron Shire and surrounds, will there be studies here to ascertain the health, or otherwise, of our local rivers and estuaries? The authors recommend this.
It’s unclear how seriously the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) take these findings – when asked by the ABC, they said they ‘welcomed the work done by Southern Cross University and took the misuse of pesticides and their potential impacts seriously’.
So, is the NSW government funding ongoing and/or expanding waterway testing? Is it only SCU doing this? If so, why?
The EPA told The ABC they have commenced a compliance campaign targeting horticulture in the area, which looks reactive rather than proactive.
For decades, state government after state government have promised all sorts of fixes for the Richmond, while pouring endless amounts of taxpayer money into bureaucratic solutions.
In 2021, a Coast Management Program (CMP) was announced, and a scoping study was completed in 2023.
It comes with budgeted costs associated with each action. ‘Farm management’ is considered a high priority (strategy 5), given the ‘major influence’ it has on ‘water quality and riparian vegetation condition within the estuary’.
To read the study, visit www.lismore.nsw.gov.au/Community/Environmental-strategies/Strategies-plans/Coastal-Zone-Management-Plan.
Hans Lovejoy, editor
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