Site Contamination, Clovelly Park and Mitchell Park

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:24): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question about Clovelly Park and Mitchell Park contamination.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I have recently been contacted by a constituent regarding potential contamination in the expanded testing area. This constituent phoned the EPA's hotline to find out when testing would commence, only to be told by the person on the other end of the phone that they were unsure and would have to get back to them.

My constituent is concerned that there has been no communication from the EPA since the information sessions took place on 26 July and 28 July and since the community reference group was established. He was also of the understanding that a further public meeting was scheduled for this week. My questions to the minister are:

1. For the public record, when will testing commence?

2. Why don't staff answering the EPA hotline have the relevant information to provide to residents?

3. Why hasn't the EPA's website been updated since 17 July?

4. When will the next public meeting be held for residents of Clovelly Park and Mitchell Park?

5. What other information can the minister provide for residents?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:26): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. I cannot of course speak to what information may have been provided to her by her constituent but I can suggest that if she likes she can contact my office for those constituent's inquiries and we will make certain inquiries of the EPA in regard to the hotline inquiry that the constituent made.

In regard to further testing, I think that has been put on the record previously. The EPA is seeking an agent to conduct that testing and I think the EPA thought it would be in place in August, and the testing will be conducted over a period of the next several months, hopefully to be completed by December. In regard to the further public meeting, I understand that a date has not been set for that as yet but it is going to be in the short term.