No Spray Register New Zealand - Stop Toxic Sprays Near Your Home

Could Your Street Be Sprayed With Herbicides? Here's How to Find Out and What You Can Do

Have you ever noticed council contractors spraying weeds along footpaths, berms or road edges outside your home?

Many New Zealand councils still use herbicides, including glyphosate-based products such as Roundup, to control weeds on public land. While councils are responsible for keeping roadsides, footpaths and reserves safe and tidy, many residents are becoming increasingly concerned about unnecessary chemical exposure around their homes, children, pets and local wildlife.

The good news is that in many parts of New Zealand you can request that herbicides are not sprayed directly outside your property. Some councils operate a No Spray Register (sometimes called a Spray Exemption Register), allowing residents to maintain the berm or roadside themselves instead.

Why are people concerned?

Glyphosate is the world's most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Roundup®. Although regulatory agencies around the world have reached differing conclusions about its safety, many people choose to minimise their exposure wherever possible.

Some of the reasons people prefer to avoid glyphosate include:

Concerns about repeated, long-term exposure.

Potential spray drift onto vegetable gardens, children's play areas and pets.

Protecting pollinators and beneficial insects.

Reducing unnecessary chemical use in neighbourhoods.

Choosing more natural methods of weed control.

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A). Other regulators, including New Zealand's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), have concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a cancer risk when used according to label directions. These differing assessments are one reason the topic continues to generate significant public debate. (EPA New Zealand)

The Roundup court cases

Glyphosate has also been at the centre of thousands of legal claims in the United States.

Many people who developed Non-Hodgkin lymphoma alleged that long-term exposure to Roundup caused their illness. While Bayer (which acquired Monsanto in 2018) continues to deny that glyphosate causes cancer, the company has settled tens of thousands of lawsuits and has paid many billions of US dollars in settlements and judgments over recent years without admitting liability.

These cases have led many homeowners to ask an important question:

If there is uncertainty, why not reduce exposure where we reasonably can?

Does your council have a No Spray Register?

The answer depends on where you live.

Auckland Council

Auckland operates a No Spray Register.

Residents can request that herbicides are not used on the berm or park boundary outside their property. In return, you agree to maintain the weeds yourself. If the area isn't kept to the required standard, the council may remove the property from the register and resume spraying.

You can register here:

Auckland Council No Spray Register

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/environment/plants-animals/weeds/Pages/no-spray-register.aspx

You can also read more about Auckland's weed management programme on the council website.

Hamilton City Council

Hamilton also offers residents the opportunity to request that agrichemicals are not used on public land bordering their property, provided they take responsibility for weed control themselves. (Hamilton City Council)

Horowhenua District Council

Horowhenua operates a formal No Spray Register, allowing residents to opt out of herbicide spraying outside their property if they maintain the roadside themselves. (Horowhenua District Council)

Tauranga City Council

Rather than a traditional register, Tauranga provides:

a Spray Exempt List

notifications of planned agrichemical applications

online spray schedules

Residents can request that their property be added to the spray exempt list and receive notifications of upcoming spraying. (Tauranga City Council)

What if your council doesn't have a register?

Not every council has a formal No Spray Register.

If you can't find one on your local council website, it's worth contacting them and asking:

Do you operate a No Spray Register or Spray Exemption Register?

Can I opt out of herbicide spraying outside my property?

What alternatives are available?

Can I maintain the berm myself instead?

Many councils are reviewing their weed management practices as residents increasingly request reduced chemical use and greater use of mechanical or manual weed control. (EPA New Zealand)

Natural ways to manage weeds

If you've chosen to look after your own berm, there are plenty of effective non-chemical options.

These include:

Hand weeding little and often.

Mulching garden edges.

Regular trimming.

Flame or steam weeders where appropriate.

Boiling water for small cracks (used carefully).

Manual weed removal before weeds set seed.

A little maintenance throughout the year can often prevent weeds from becoming a major problem.

Every small action makes a difference

Joining a No Spray Register won't eliminate herbicide use across New Zealand, but it is one practical step you can take to reduce chemical spraying immediately outside your home.

Whether your motivation is protecting children, pets, pollinators, waterways or simply reducing your family's exposure to unnecessary chemicals, asking your local council what options are available is a simple place to start.

Sometimes positive environmental change begins with one small question:
"Do you have a No Spray Register?"

I would also recommend adding a small "Find Your Council" box at the end with a button linking to the Local Government NZ council directory, so readers anywhere in New Zealand can quickly locate their own council rather than listing all 67 councils individually. It keeps the article current even if councils change their policies.