Council has been investigating alternatives to glyphosate, which is used in Roundup. Cr Ryan called for the investigation after a jury in California awarded $US289 million to a man who said he got terminal cancer after years of using Roundup.

Cr Ryan said he had been concerned about the chemicals being used to kill weeds for a long time. There had been no long-term longitudinal studies undertaken on the way chemicals were reacting with each other, he said.

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Council has looked into possibilities such as flamethrowers and steam. But each alternative presents its own challenges, including increased costs.

“I think the people who look to us to do the right thing by them should have the confidence that we’re not going to go out and abandon glyphosate instantly and cause them a huge rising cost, we’re going to look at it very objectively and just not overlook any possibilities,” Cr Ryan said.

Councillor Jane Diffey said she would need to see a compelling case against glyphosate before she would support any other alternatives.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has already ruled products containing glyphosate were safe to use if the instructions on the label were followed.

Cr Ryan said using Roundup was common practice in Dubbo not only by council but from residents. 

“The farming industry as a whole is very supportive as glyphosate because they use it on a daily basis. A lot of the farmers they’ve grown up not knowing how to farm without glyphosate and what it was like beforehand. It’s a hugely difficult thing to let go of,” he said.

The councillor said he would like to see Dubbo Regional Council trial steam as a weed management alternative, like Waverly Council, to know the potential costs, the reliability of the machinery and the safety practices that would need to be followed.