MAITLAND City Council has stepped up its environmental management with the introduction of weed spraying drones.
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Last month, council utilised technological advances and commenced the spraying of weeds using a specialised spray drone at the Bolwarra riverbank.
The new process could replace conventional spraying for the purpose of weed control in suitable areas and comes with a number of benefits.
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Council's recreation works operation manager Caine James said the process would revolutionise weed spraying in the local government area.
"We identified a site that we'd been working on for about 18 months in Bolwarra ... We've reclaiming the land on the riverbank," he said.
"We use a lot less chemicals and water. The benefits are just amazing."
Drone spraying, which is guided by GPS satellite navigation, ensures that there is no risk of weeds or weed seed being spread elsewhere as the drone does not come into direct contact with weeds infested areas.
It can also treat weeds which are difficult to access, are in remote locations, or present a high risk by entering the site on foot or using a vehicle.
The process also reduces the amount of herbicide being used, has minimal impact on surrounding vegetation and saves both time and money.
"The drone used under a 100 litres of water while we would use hundreds of litres," Mr James said.
"Our operators aren't in contact with the chemicals.The goal is to increase the use where we need to and achieve better results."
Council will continue to utilise drone spraying in areas which are unreachable on foot or by vehicle, or present a greater risk if sprayed by conventional methods.