VC06 ROADSIDE VEGETATION SPRAYING
General
Roadside Vegetation Spraying is defined as the herbicide spraying of roadside and edge
vegetation.
Work to be completed in accordance with the specific requirements set out below and the
NZTA C21:1997 specification.
Scope of Work
The following sets out the scope and extent of work that is expected when undertaking this
activity.
Extent of work
As detailed below, spraying will be carried out at the Engineer's discretion which may be
subject to climatic and financial constraints. The Contractor will supply all chemicals, labour
and equipment to perform the requirements of this specification and be a certified spray
applicator.
Spraying is to be carried out in three periods repeated yearly at an average of 2m from edge
of seal, or edge of formed road and shall include watertable or side drains. The three
periods are to be agreed in the annual programme.
Schedule of Spraying Zones
● The Contractor will develop a schedule of spaying zones populated into the RAMM
UDT table within the first 6 months of the Date of Acceptance. The Engineer will
provide an initial list of zones. The Contractor shall recommend and get approval for
the UDT data structure from the Engineer.
● The final schedule in RAMM shall be approved by the Engineer and then used to
create the future dispatches for Weed Spraying.
Roadside spraying
Control of roadside vegetation is required for several reasons which include driver safety,
visibility, unobstructed roadside furniture (such as guard/sight rails) and roadside drainage.
If the frontage is maintained by the property owner to Council's satisfaction and marking
the areas with `NO SPRAY' signs or marker posts or designated green RRPMs, these areas
are not to be sprayed.
Chemical control is excluded from use in the following areas:
● Where erosion of the bare surface is proven to be a problem, for example in
watertables or on embankments.
● Banks either above or below the road which have vegetation growth to retain
stability or have been hydroseeded shall not be sprayed.
The Engineer reserves the right to vary the quantities and scheduled roads.
The Contractor is to ensure that vegetation around guard/sight rails and the inside of curves
are to be eradicated according to the standard outlined in
Figure 4 below:
Figure 6: Vegetation control around guard/sight rails and sight
distance on insides of curves
●
Rural Areas Shall Include:
○ Roadside Spraying
■ All sealed and unsealed roads will be sprayed a minimum width of 2m
from the seal edge extending out to the back of the watertable.
■ Roadside furniture within the spray area, including guardrails, sight
rails, sign posts, delineators and traffic islands will be sprayed around
in such a way so that they are clearly visible to the motorist. Tra
■ All watertables adjacent to the roadside are to be sprayed.
■ All culvert inlets and outlets are to be sprayed in the same operation
as the watertables
○ Edge Spraying
■ Behind kerb and channel, a 50 -100mm width will be sprayed from the
back edge of the kerb to reduce grass growing into the channel.
■ Where there is no kerb and channel, edges will be sprayed for 200
mm width along the seal edge, if the frontage is not maintained by
the property owner.
●
Urban Areas Shall Include:
○ Roadside Spraying
■ Roadside furniture within the spray area, including guardrails, sight
rails, sign posts, delineators and traffic islands will be sprayed around
in such a way so that they are clearly visible to the motorist.
■ Spraying will be required to 2m width if the frontages have not been
developed and are not being maintained.
■ Any areas within the road shoulder that are not maintained by the
residents and become untidy due to excessive vegetation growth.
○ Edge Spraying
■ Behind kerb and channel, a 50mm width will be sprayed from the
back edge of the kerb unless adequately maintained by adjacent
resident.
■ The grass encroaching on footpaths is to be sprayed 50mm width
along their edges and expansion joints if un-maintained. This includes
any weed growth on the footpath against buildings or street furniture
in shopping areas
■ Where there is no kerb and channel, edges will be sprayed for 200
mm width along the seal edge, if the frontage is not maintained by
the property owner.
Application
Chemical Application
To provide total vegetation control, the Contractor shall use chemicals that will be least
toxic to the environment and be appropriate to the vegetation type for 100% kill.
The application rate shall be as per the manufacturer's recommendations.
Plant and Equipment
The Contractor shall provide and maintain all plant and equipment to fulfil the Contract
requirement to the satisfaction of the Engineer.
Should the Engineer at any time decide that an item of plant or equipment is unsuitable for
the type of work being carried out, or is unserviceable, he shall direct that it be removed
from the site until repaired, modified or replaced.
The spraying vehicle shall meet the following requirements:
1. Minimum spray tank capacity of 1000 litres.
2. It shall be capable of delivering by accurate computer controlled application the
appropriate spray rate per hectare at low pressures (up to 210 kPa).
3. It shall have an approved amber flashing light on top of the cab and shall carry a
warning notice in accordance with the "International WT Series" symbol road signs
with the words "Weed Spraying".
4. It shall be equipped with a tank agitation system which will ensure that all chemicals,
including wettable powders, remain in suspension at all times.
5. It shall be equipped with a suitable tank filling pump.
Programming
Before any work is to be been undertaken, the Contractor shall notify the Engineer of his
spraying programme for all of the areas. At least 24 hours prior notice to the Engineer is
required before the commencement of any work. Information about the type of chemicals
to be used will be required.
Notes:
●
Damages
The Contractor shall be liable for all damages that may occur as a result of his actions
under this Contract. The Contractor shall undertake reasonable reparations as
agreed with the affected property owner.
It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to protect all drainage facilities, traffic aids
and the like during the course of the contract. Traffic aids include signs, edge marker
posts, bridges and hazard markers.
The Contractor's failure to reinstate traffic aids or culvert marker pegs, etc removed
or damaged during spraying operations will result in the Engineer arranging for this
work to be carried out, with all costs being recovered from payments owing to the
Contractor.
Any damage caused which is directly attributable to the Contractor's operation shall
be made good at the Contractor's expense.
●
Public Relations
All work is to be carried out with due regard to members of the public and the
Contractor is to ensure that the image of Council is maintained at all times by
ensuring that all spray use is as safe as practically possible for the applicator, public,
adjoining property owners and animals.
Spraying shall not be undertaken in any manner which could cause the chemicals to
fall on areas other than the areas specified to the sprayed.
No herbicides shall be applied directly upwind of and/or within 5 m of people or
animals at any time.
No herbicides shall be applied in shopping areas during business hours.
The Contractor shall place a public notice in the local newspaper at least one week
prior to his operations commencing and a contact telephone number for any
enquiries.
●
Public Notification:
Public notices of weed control spray programmes will be published in a local
community newspaper by the Contractor, generally twice per month and at least
one week prior to the commencement of any work. The notices will specify the area
where the weed control programme is to be carried out, the types of chemicals to be
applied, the period of application (subject to weather conditions permitting) and the
vegetation to be treated. Prior notification is to be approved by the Engineer.
●
Policy
In consideration of growing public concern, the Contractor is to comply with the
Resource Management Act and the following items:
1. The use of sprays will be limited to areas where in the opinion of the
Engineer it is not practical or economical to carry out manual, mechanical or
other methods of pest and weed control.
2. In selecting herbicides and pesticides, the Contractor shall endeavour to use
only unscheduled or low toxicity chemicals which are available on the
market.
3. In particular, grass berms in urban built up areas, will not be sprayed, except
by a hand operated sprayer and controlled to avoid spray-drift, adjacent to
hotmix or chip sealed - roads, footpaths, adjacent to kerbs and the edge of
the channel where it meets the carriageway.
4. Council will continue to publicly encourage residents to keep the berms
outside their properties weed free and tidy, in order to reduce Council's use
of herbicides. General spraying in gully areas, walkways, and open drainage
channels will be undertaken where essential.
5. Public places where the public congregate in numbers will be sprayed only
when essential. In such cases warning signs will be erected notifying the
intention to spray and these signs shall remain in place after spraying until all
spray is dry on the foliage.
6. In respect of schools, kindergartens, day-care centres and other public
buildings where children congregate:
a. If a substance has any class 6 class substances associated with it
(human toxicity) as per the EPA website;
https://www.epa.govt.nz/database-search/approved-hazardous-
substances-with-controls/ it may only be applied within one hundred
metres of any such facility if the application is carried out by hand
operated knapsack sprayers and only when these facilities are not in use,
eg outside school hours.
b. Hydraulic spray application subject to the possibility of spray drift
shall not be applied within 500 metres of any such facility.
7. The Contractor are to adhere to the safety requirements and correct
application procedures as set out by this document and in the product label
provisions and the provisions of the SANZ Draft Code of Practice for the Use
of Herbicides in Urban Amenity Areas.
8. Only Contractor employees and operators that have undergone a suitable
training course outlining the correct application procedures and safety
requirements will use herbicides and pesticides.
9. Spraying will not be carried out in wind velocities exceeding 10 kph, or when
weather conditions indicate that rain or drizzle could follow within two to six
hours from the time of application.
10. Properties not to be sprayed because of personal preference by the owner or
occupier are marked by the owners as such. For these properties the
Contractor is not use chemical methods of weed control, subject to the
owners/occupiers maintaining the berm to Council's satisfaction and by
marking the areas with approved marker's or signs as stated in the `NO
SPRAY' guidelines.
11. Daily records of all spray used on Council roads will be kept and will include
details of time, date, location, products, applicators, and wind speeds,
updated every three hours during the day.
12. The Contractor shall be responsible for liaison between Engineer and the
public in respect of sprays and for investigating any complaints arising from
spray use by the Contractor.
Performance Criteria
Roadside Vegetation Spraying shall meet the following criteria to the satisfaction of the
Engineer:
1. The work is completed in accordance with the material specifications
2. A 100% kill shall be achieved by the Contractor to all vegetation in the areas
specified within a six-week period from the date of spraying.
3. The Contractor shall re-spray all areas where a "kill" has not be achieved within two
months from the date of the original spray at his cost.
Basis of Payment
1. Roadside Spraying
Payment for work under this item shall be made by way of an all-inclusive rate per
kilometre sprayed. The payment will be full compensation for all expenses incurred by
the Contractor in fulfilling his obligations under this activity.
2. Edge Spraying
Payment for work under this item shall be made by way of an all-inclusive rate per
kilometre sprayed. The payment will be full compensation for all expenses incurred by
the Contractor in fulfilling his obligations under this activity.
VC07 SPOT VEGETATION SPRAYING
General
This section sets out the requirements for management of Spot Vegetation Spraying and
associated physical work. Spot Vegetation Spraying is defined as the herbicide spraying of
noxious weed vegetation.
Work to be completed in accordance with the specific requirements set out below and the
NZTA C21:1997 specification.
Scope of Work
The following sets out the scope and extent of work that is expected when undertaking this
activity:
All the requirements specified under the heading
Application in VC06, shall apply to this
work.
● A noxious weed management plan for the road reserve has been formulated. This
programme is in addition to the cyclic roadside spraying already being undertaken.
An annual plan of the year's work is to be submitted to the Engineer in July of each
year than can be done within the budget.
● The focus of the weed spraying will be on broom, Taiwan cherry, cotoneaster,
wilding conifers, privet and wild ginger. Gorse occurring in isolated patches must
also be treated.
● Spraying will be carried out at the Engineer's discretion which may be subject to
climatic and financial constraints. The Contractor will supply all chemicals, labour
and equipment to perform the requirements of this specification and be a certified
spray applicator.
Performance Criteria
Spot Vegetation Spraying shall meet the following criteria to the satisfaction of the
Engineer:
1. The work is completed in accordance with the material specifications.
2. A 100% kill shall be achieved by the Contractor to all vegetation in the areas
specified within a six-week period from the date of spraying.
3. The Contractor shall re-spray all areas where a "kill" has not be achieved within two
months from the date of the original spray at his cost.
