“After consultation with a local agronomist and many landowners across our four local government areas, Blayney, Bathurst, Oberon and Lithgow, we decided to not proceed with our autumn aerial spraying program this year,” Upper Macquarie County Council chairman Ian North said.

“Unfortunately, there has been insufficient rainfall right across the region to proceed with the program.

“There are a number of factors that have been taken into consideration in making this decision, such as the impact of spraying on good plants, killing of what little ground cover there may be, lack of good, clean water to mix with the chemicals and the possible increasing of resistance in target weeds.”

Cr North said Upper Macquarie County Council was looking to run its next aerial spraying program in spring and would focus on serrated tussock.

“We hope to include those landowners missed in the autumn program,” he said.