THE use of diazinon as an insecticide and acaricide would be dramatically restricted under proposals by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
Its move has sparked industry uproar because it could see some of the best known and most widely used flystrike and lice control products disappear from retailer shelves.
And there will be just three months – closing on June 11 – for the public to comment.
The ag-vet regulator published its findings and reasons in a 51-page gazette in which the core comment was APVMA is “not satisfied that the diazinon chemical product registrations meet the safety criteria, trade criteria and any requirement prescribed by the regulations”.
APVMA wants to cancel approvals for 15 products including Coopers and WSD flystrike powder, Coopers Gold spray-on offshears sheep lice treatment, BFD blowfly dressing as well as Patriot Insecticide Ear Tag for cattle.
Its use as an insecticide in another five products would continue, with some labels varied.
If it does cancel some uses of diazinon, the industry would only have access to the products containing diazinon, which is an organophosphate, for another 12 months.
The APVMA is proposing to:
* Vary and affirm chemical product registrations and associated label approvals where at least one use pattern is proposed to be supported.
* Cancel active constituent approvals, chemical product registrations and associated label approvals that do not meet the statutory safety, trade or labelling criteria.
* Vary and affirm remaining active constituent approvals to update the conditions of approval.
The proposed decision includes consideration of all current approved diazinon active constituents, registered chemical products and approved labels.
Enquiries about the proposed decision or the public consultation can be directed to enquiries@apvma.gov.au
