Council has ended the ‘No Glyphosate Trial’ along Gardiners Creek.
The trial ran from December 2022 to April 2025 and tested alternative ways to manage weeds without glyphosate, following community concerns about its use.
At a Council meeting on Monday 13 October 2025, Councillors resolved to stop the trial, as data from the trial period showed higher weed levels and increased labour costs in trial areas compared with non-trial locations. The full report from the 13 October Council meeting is available to read.
Moving forward, Council will continue a weed management approach that reduces herbicide use where possible. Alternative techniques will be used alongside glyphosate to manage weeds effectively across open spaces.
What we learned during the trial
At the Council meeting on Monday 22 April 2024, we presented a report on the results of the trial to Councillors. The report showed that the condition of the trial areas were similar to before the trial began.
The report also showed:
- a decrease in the amount of herbicide used at the trial areas
- an increase in the hours spent managing weeds at the trial areas
- an increase in the cost of managing weeds at the trial areas.
In 2025, the data continued to show higher weed loads in the trial area — even during drier weather — and increased labour costs.
How weeds were managed during the trial
During the trial, different weed management methods were used depending on conditions of each zone. The different methods included:
- Hand weeding using knives, hand mattocks or appropriate weeding devices
- Brush cutting using battery-powered cutters where possible
- Flame using Weed Dragon
- Heat treatment using Heatweed Mid 3.0 Unit (4WD mounted)
- Spot-spraying herbicide including Starane, Fusilade, Kamba, Basta, Associate, wetting agent BS1000 and Envirodye.
About glyphosate
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has declared glyphosate safe to use when the instructions on the label are followed. Glyphosate is regulated by The Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Act 1994.
All Melbourne councils currently use glyphosate in some capacity, although it is not applied in sensitive areas such as playgrounds and childcare centres.
Boroondara also took part in the 2021 Deakin University study ‘Weed Management Options for Victorian Councils – Alternatives to Glyphosate’, which found glyphosate the most effective method when considering cost, safety, and impacts on nearby plants and animals.
We understand that there are some community concerns that glyphosate can cause cancer. In 2024, the Federal Court of Australia dismissed a claim against Monsanto stating that there was insufficient evidence to prove Roundup and glyphosate-based products cause cancer.
More information
For more information, see our Weed management page or contact our Urban Biodiversity and Revegetation team at [email protected] or on (03) 9278 4444.