Attendees at the 2024 Biodiversity Week event in Knockanrawley Resource Centre
An information event held in Knockanrawley Resource Centre last week as part of Biodiversity Week has led to the partial approval of a motion at this week’s Tipperary Cashel Municipal District Meeting.
Merci Hogan, a local advocate for organic systems and no chemical spray policies gave a presentation at the Knockanrawley event and asked for a Councillor to put forward a motion for a no chemical spray policy in County Tipperary. Cllr John Cross proposed “That this Council adopt either a non-chemical spray policy or a no spray policy from a date not later than 3 months of this motion.” The motion was seconded by Cllr Anne Marie Ryan and it was agreed that the motion would be modified to be more practical and will be put forward at a future plenary meeting. In some cases, chemicals are required to deal with invasive plant species. The issue is also to be considered by the Environmental Strategic Policy Committee after the Local Elections.
Cllr Ryan says that while the issue will be addressed by a future Tipperary Biodiversity Action Plan the matter needs attention immediately. The Council’s new Biodiversity officer Anne Marie Fleming attended the Knockanrawley event on Cllr Ryan’s invitation. Ms Fleming also visited the organic garden at the Resource Centre.
Cllr Ryan is to engage with the local engineer to assess if a non-chemical product recommended by Ms Hogan could be used in Tipperary town. Ms Hogan is hopeful of developing a “No spray area “in the town that would include Knockanrawley Resource Centre, the Gael Scoil, the Circle of Friends and adjacent housing estates that might eventually expand across the entire town. The policy is being put forward to support the health of insects, pollinators and humans.
