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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-07-03 Daily Xml
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Site Contamination, Clovelly Park and Mitchell Park

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): My question is to the Premier. Why was the government aware for 48 days of dangerous levels of air contamination for Clovelly Park residents considering that in February 2011 the then minister for the environment, the member for Colton, advised parliament of contamination in Edwardstown within six days of becoming aware?

Members interjecting:

Mr Whetstone: And you sacked him!

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is called to order.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned for the first time.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:38): The Leader of the Opposition has been asserting that there are dangerous levels of air contamination. Can I put heed to that: the two micrograms per square cubic metre of air is not, of itself, a dangerous level of air contamination. It is the level at which warrants—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: It is the level—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Either you are interested in getting a proper answer or you just want to try and scream me down—but I will make sure the South Australian people are properly informed. I know you would love for nothing more than to run around trying to create panic for your own base political purposes. But the simple fact is that the two micrograms per square cubic metre of air is not in and of itself a dangerous level; it is the level at which warrants further investigation, and that is exactly what the government is doing.

To put it in context, what is considered a dangerous level is what the occupational limits are for exposure to trichloroethylene, and that is not two micrograms per square cubic metre of air, it is 54,000—54,000 micrograms per square cubic metre. That is 27,000 times more than the two micrograms which the government has decided to take this action on. Of course, we always act with an abundance of caution, particularly when you are talking about people's residences, but it is very important that it is understood that the Leader of the Opposition trying to peddle that this a danger to people is absolutely mischievous.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order is?

Mr GARDNER: The minister has descended into debate: 98.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the Minister for Health has descended into debate. I uphold the point of order. I call to order the member for Stuart, the member for Kavel, who—

The Hon. J.R. Rau: Yes.

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier says yes, and I am coming around to the Deputy Premier's point of view that he is the éminence grise behind all disruption. The member for Hartley is called to order and warned for the first time. The member for Heysen is warned for the first time and the member for Hammond is warned for the first time. Leader.

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