Use of triazine herbacides

Tasmanian residents draw to the attention of the House The use of triazine herbicides (e.g. atrazine, simazine, hexazinone, cyanazine) has contaminated Tasmania's fresh water supplies on a wide scale. Triazines have contaminated the Prosser, Rubicon, Brid, Derwent, North & South Esk, West Tamar, Macquarie, Meander, Duck, Montague, Jordon, Liffey, Coal, Hellyer, Cattley, Little Henty, Lisle Creek, Great Forester and George Rivers, Tea Tree & Brushy Plains Rivulet, Western & Brumby's Creek, and ground water at Ross and Port Arthur. Derby and Lorinna drinking waters have also been contaminated. Triazines such as atrazine have been shown to potentiate breast and prostate cancers along with producing neurological, reproductive and immunological problems in fish, amphibians, birds and mammals including humans. The developmental origin of disease is well recognized. Cancer rates in Tasmania have dramatically increased between 1980 and 2005, up 33% for males and 30% for females. Tasmania has the highest cancer rates (excluding skin cancer) in Australia. This rise in cancer coincides with increased rates of diseases including diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and while there will be a range of contributing factors - this sharp increase in disease rates correlates with the widespread and largely unregulated use of endocrine disrupting pesticides such as the triazines. Your petitioners therefore request the House to enact the Precautionary Principle in relation to the use of these chemicals, and ban the use of the triazine chemicals in Tasmania in order to better protect the health and wellbeing of the current and future generations.