REGULAR readers of this column will know we encourage all green thumbs to be, well, "green”.

Healthy plants, in healthy soil, fertilised with organic or home-grown compost, are more resistant to pests so good foundations are the mark of the expert gardener.

Beyond that, organic sprays - trending right now - or home-made sprays, as well as manual maintenance such as squashing bugs, pulling weeds or setting beer traps, are the best way to keep our gardens, ourselves, our waterways and our community healthy.

Congratulations to Byron Shire Council, now on a path to zero chemical use in weed control. Over the past couple of years, staff have stopped all use of chemicals in all public spaces - bus stops, footpaths, parks, playgrounds and so on, and are using either hand-weeding or steam weeding, according to mayor Simon Richardson. That's good news for everyone who lives in, or visits, the shire.

In the Ballina and Lismore local government areas, chemicals including glyphosate are still in use.

In March this year, researchers writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health argued glyphosate, known by trade names including Roundup, should be subject to further safety review about whether it causes cancer.

US and European regulators have determined that it likely does not, while a United Nations body, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, found in 2015 that it likely does, reports the British Medical Journal.

As you may be aware, glyphosate has been banned in several international markets. Swiss supermarket chains Coop and Migros decided to remove glyphosate products from being sold due to health risks. France banned the herbicide nationally in retail locations and German retail giant REWE Group acted to remove all glyphosate products in its 350-plus stores. And Sri Lanka has enforced a prohibition on the use or sale of glyphosate products after concerns by health professionals.

If you want to do more to protect the environment, and your health, don't spray with glyphosate and other chemicals and contact your council and ask them to switch to greener weed control. You can also sign a petition - Stop Toxic Spraying in Ballina Shire - at https://www.change.org/p/ballina-shire-council-stop-toxic-spraying-in-ballina-shire

Helen Hawkes is a permaculture design graduate and a leading wellness writer. Her articles have appeared in The Northern Star, The Sunday Telegraph and the Australian Financial Review.

Weed control in Lismore and Nimbin

Lismore City Council continues to use glyphosate to treat weeds throughout its LGA, however it has responded to community concerns in Nimbin and now manages weeds manually within the village.

A spokeswoman said the council had investigated other methods of weed control, including steam and hot water weed control measures, manual removal and plant-based herbicides.

"The trial demonstrated that steam and hot water weed control was not practical in terms of the length of time for regrowth and application methods,” she said.

"While some plant-based organic herbicides did work, they were around 40 times more expensive. Manual weed control is very time-consuming and not practical across the over 600 parks and gardens managed by Lismore City Council.”

She added that as glyphosate is registered on the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, council continues to use this product.

"Any change to the current use of glyphosate would be in accordance with advice from the authority. It has recently concluded a review of glyphosate and determined it does not pose a cancer risk to humans,” she said.

Organic weed control

If you don't make your own garlic spray, or patrol the vegetable patch in the morning to squash bugs and pull weeds, you might want to try a new spray from Yates.

Yates Nature's Way Organic Weed Spray is based on two natural ingredients - clove oil and acetic acid - which work together to quickly dehydrate and kill weeds.

It is certified for use in organic gardening so it's ideal for gardeners wanting to use organic methods of weed control.