Pesticide use Notification Plan - Sydney International Equestrian Centre
1. Introduction
This pesticide use Notification Plan has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Pesticides Regulation 2009.
The Plan sets out how the Sydney International Equestrian Centre will notify members of the community of pesticide applications it makes or allows to be made to public places that it manages or controls.
The Plan allows members of the community to take action to avoid contact with pesticides. The Sydney International Equestrian Centre will ensure that pesticides are applied to public places in a safe, responsible manner, minimising harm to the community and the environment.
The Plan sets out how Sydney International Equestrian Centre will notify members of the community of pesticide applications made by the Sydney International Equestrian Centre or its contractors to public places.
The Plan describes:
- What areas of Sydney International Equestrian Centre are covered by the plan
- Who regularly uses these places and an estimate of the level of use
- How and when the Sydney International Equestrian Centre and Sport and Recreation will provide the community with information about pesticide applications within the Sydney International Equestrian Centre (ie. what notification arrangements will be used)
- How the community can access this Plan and get more information about the Sydney International Equestrian Centre’s notification arrangements
- How future reviews of the Plan will be conducted
- Contact details for anyone wishing to discuss this Plan with the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.
The Sydney International Equestrian Centre uses pesticides in public places only when necessary to eliminate noxious weeds, broad leaf weeds, to protect public property from pest damage and to protect the users of the Sydney International Equestrian Centre from nuisance or danger.
The majority of pesticide use consists of applying herbicides for weed control. The frequency of programmed applications ranges from four to six times per year for sports-specific areas and two to three times per year for general landscaped areas and public thoroughfares. Bait insecticides are used for termite and ant control to protect structures and public safety wherever this is considered an effective solution. Baits may also be used to control rabbits and foxes and is only done in conjunction with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Other pesticides used include rodenticides, insecticides, fungicides and bird baits. For more information, contact us.
2. Public places covered by this plan
Sydney International Equestrian Centre is a world class facility set on 96ha of magnificent parkland in Western Sydney. The site has a designated core area whilst being capturedwithin the boundaries of the Western Sydney Regional Park.Outside of the core area, the Sydney International Equestrian Centre shares over 15 kms of cross country course track and obstacles with the Western Sydney Parklands.
Areas within the property contain Cumberland Plain Woodland, which is protected under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, and remnants of local Aboriginal, European and archaeological history.
The NSW Government designed the Sydney International Equestrian Centre for greater public use after the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and it is now managed by Sport and Recreation for this purpose.
The Sydney International Equestrian Centre proposes to use or allow the use of pesticides in the following categories of public places that it manages or controls in the area known as Sydney International Equestrian Centre, Saxony Road Horsley Park NSW 2175.
- General grassed and landscaped areas used for passive recreation and car parking
- Grass arenas and cross country tracks including obstacles
- Sand arenas
- Buildings throughout the site including administration offices, kiosks, accommodation cabins, campsites, amenities and stables
- Equestrian/pedestrian pathways
- Bush regeneration areas
- Rough grassland.
The Sydney International Equestrian Centre proposes to use pesticides in the following places:
- Cross country tracks including obstacles.
The Sydney International Equestrian Centre’s estimates of the level of community use, regular user groups and types of pesticide use in each of these categories of public places is summarised in the following table.
|
Public places |
Regular user groups |
Level of use of public place |
Type of pesticide use |
|---|---|---|---|
|
General grassed and landscaped areas |
|
High to very high |
|
|
Grass arenas and cross country course including obstacles |
|
High |
|
|
Sand arenas |
|
High |
|
|
Buildings |
|
High |
|
|
Equestrian / Pedestrian Pathways |
|
High |
|
|
Bush Regeneration Areas |
|
Low – Medium |
|
|
Rough Grassland |
|
Low |
|
|
Cross Country Track and Obstacles in (WSP) |
|
High |
|
3. Notification arrangements
This section of the Plan describes how and when the Sydney International Equestrian Centre will provide notice of pesticide use in public places, including special measures for sensitive places that are adjacentto public places, arrangements for emergency pesticide applications and circumstances where notice will not be given.
These notification requirements are based on the Sydney International Equestrian Centre’s and Sport and Recreation’s assessment of:
- The level of usage of public places where pesticides may be used
- The extent to which members of the public who are most likely to be sensitive to pesticides (eg. young children, pregnant women and elderly people) are likely to use these areas regularly
- The extent to which activities generally undertaken in these areas could lead to some direct contact with pesticides (such as in picnic areas where food is consumed, and in sporting or other recreational activities that result in contact with the ground)
- The type of pesticide used.
Notice of pesticide use will be provided by a combination of:
- Signs (signs will be of a standardised design that will be easily recognisable to the public, staff and contractors)
- Information on the Sydney International Equestrian Centre’s website (which will describe programmed, reactive and emergency pesticide use)
- Letters
- Fax, email and telephone contact
- Local papers.
The information that will be provided in the Plan will be in accordance with clause 20 of the Pesticides Regulation 2009. Notice of pesticide use will include all the following information:
- The full product name of the pesticide to be used
- The purpose of the use, clearly setting out what pest/s are being treated
- The proposed date/s or date range of the pesticide use
- Contact number and email address for a Sport and Recreation Officer whom people can contact to discuss the Notice
Any warnings regarding re–entry to or use of the placeof application specified on the product label or the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) permit.
Sport and Recreation uses small quantities of some pesticides that are widely available in retail outlets and ordinarily used for domestic purposes (including home gardening). Sport and Recreation does not intend to provide notice for such pesticide applications other than by way of this description in this plan (or general information on the Sydney International Equestrian Centre website). This will also apply to minor control of outdoor insect pests using baits or aerosol spray cans and spot weed control using a wand or hand held spray bottle or knapsack sprayer.
* The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), the national government body responsible for assessing and registering (or otherwise approving) all pesticide products in Australia and for their regulation up to and including the point of retail sale.
4. How and when notice of pesticide use will be provided
4.1 Outdoor recreation areas
The notification arrangements described below will apply to the following facilities of the Sydney International Equestrian Centre:
- General grassed and landscaped areas used for passive recreation and car parking
- Grass arenas and cross country tracks including obstacles
- Sand arenas
- Buildings throughout the site including Administration Offices, kiosks, accommodation cabins, campsites, amenities and stables.
- Equestrian / pedestrian pathways
- Bush regeneration areas
- Areas of rough grassland within the the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.
In these areas, signs will be erected near the application area or the main entrance to the facility to advertise the proposed application. The signs will be erected at least 48 hours prior to application and remain 48 hours after application for the following pesticide uses:
- Broadscale selective herbicides
- Broadscale non–selective herbicides
- Fungicides (on relevant garden beds)
- Sprays for spiders, cockroaches and ant control
- Bait bird, rabbit and fox control.
Information will be available to the general community on the Sydney International Equestrian Centre website about the forward program for the above applications and on the following pesticides uses in outdoor recreation areas:
- Spot herbicides
- Spot insecticides
- Bait ant control.
4.2 Special measures for sensitive places
The notification arrangements described below will apply to the following categories of facilities within the Sydney International Equestrian Centre:
- Cross country tracks including obstacles within the WSRP.
For these areas, the Sydney International Equestrian Centre will notify NPWS of its intended program 48 hours prior to application. Signs will be erected at strategic areas throughout the cross country course and on boundary fences at least 48 hrs prior to application and remain for at least 48 hours after application for the following uses:
- Broadscale selective herbicides
- Broadscale non–selective herbicides.
For broad scale herbicide applications in the aforementioned areas, information on the forward program will be posted on the the Sydney International Equestrian Centre website every three months.
Information on the programmed and reactive spot use of herbicide will be posted on the the Sydney International Equestrian Centre website every three months.
5. Emergency pesticide application
In cases where emergency pesticide applications in public places are required to deal with biting or dangerous pests such as wasps, bees, venomous spiders, fleas, bird mites or rodents (that pose an immediate health hazard), the Sydney International Equestrian Centre will, where possible, provide notice by posting signs nearby at the time of the application. If this is not possible, the Sydney International Equestrian Centre will provide information via the Sydney International Equestrian Centre website or directly by the person applying the pesticide.
6. Pesticide contractors and lessees of agency land
Where the Sydney International Equestrian Centre uses contractors to apply pesticides on its behalf, the venue will ensure that notification is made in accordance with the notification requirements of this plan.
Where persons or organisations hold an existing lease (eg. office space) within the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, they will be required to inform Venue Management of any intention to apply pesticides. The Sydney International Equestrian Centre will arrange and coordinate any pesticide application on site in accordance with the requirements of this Plan.
7. How the community will be informed of this Plan
The Sydney International Equestrian Centre will advise its visitors and the community of this Plan and its contents by:
- Making a copy of the Plan available for viewing, free of charge, at the Venue Management Office situated within the Indoor Arena, Sydney International Equestrian Centre, Saxony Rd, Horsley Park
- Placing a copy of the Plan on equestriancentre.nsw.gov.au
- Placing a notice in the Fairfield Advance and Fairfield City Champion newspapers
- Displaying the information on a visual display board within
8. Future reviews of the Plan
The Notification Plan will be reviewed every three years or when circumstances require a review of the plan. The review will include:
- A report on the progress of implementing the Plan
- Outcomes of public consultation on the notification methods outlined in the Plan
- Placing the Plan on public exhibition, with any proposed changes and inviting public submissions
- In response to any public submissions received, making recommendations for alterations (if applicable) to the Plan.
9. Contact details
To discuss the notification plan or to obtain details of pesticide applications at the venue should, contact us.