Tony Lumsden,  Matata

On Wednesday, June 4 at 10.45am, it's drizzling with rain, and more is forecast over the entire day.

I am on the way to town, and I meet Whakatane District Council’s spraying contractor on our road spraying weeds, culverts and marker pegs. Did I forget to mention, it's raining?

Can the council please explain in factually correct and logical terms why a contractor, supervised by council, is literally pouring weed spray down the drain and getting ratepayers’ money to do so ?

Whakatane District Council manager of transportation Ann-Elise Reynolds responds:

We’ve followed up with our contractor regarding the timing and conditions of their work that day.

The contractor has advised that during the time they were spraying, conditions were cloudy, yet calm and dry with no wind. They made the decision to stop work once the weather had the chance of getting wet later that day.

Additionally, the herbicide used has a rain fast time of 30 minutes, meaning it becomes resistant to wash-off within that period. Based on the contractor’s timeline and the weather conditions reported, the application was completed well within this window, ensuring the effectiveness of the treatment and minimising the risk of any runoff.

While we appreciate that weather conditions can vary quickly and may appear different from nearby locations, we expect all contractors to exercise sound judgment and adhere to best practice guidelines when applying herbicides.