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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-14 Daily Xml
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POLLUTION MONITORING

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Industrial Relations, representing the Minister for Environment and Conservation, a question about air and water pollution monitoring.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: Currently in South Australia many businesses rely on external private companies to undertake air and water quality monitoring of pollution from their premises. This monitoring is often a legal requirement of EPA licensing. These private monitoring companies are typically accredited with the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).

NATA is a not-for-profit company operating as an association owned by its members. All NATA accredited organisations are members of the association. In the absence of independent EPA testing, these monitoring companies occupy a huge position of trust, and they play a very important role in maintaining air and water quality in our communities.

It was very concerning to hear on 31 August this year the ABC's PM program report that the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management was investigating a monitoring company accused of misreporting air quality data. This investigation resulted from a whistleblower in the company, who reported that shortcuts were routinely taken and that workers in the firm pretended to conduct testing but instead were fabricating their findings.

The issue of verification of pollution monitoring data is an issue that has been raised with me many times over the last 15 years I have worked in this area. For example, 12 months ago, I chaired a public meeting in Port Adelaide, with many of the residents who attended expressing a great deal of frustration at what they regarded as the inadequate action by the EPA and the lack of independent verification by the EPA of pollution from local industry, such as the Adelaide Brighton Cement factory. Residents also wanted the EPA to do more, yet the EPA's capacity has been hard hit with government budget cuts. My questions are:

1. Is the minister aware of any reports of falsification of testing data by air and water quality monitoring companies operating in South Australia?

2. Does the company at the centre of the investigation in Queensland also operate in South Australia and, if so, for which companies and in which communities?

3. What auditing of company-supplied testing is done by the EPA to verify the data?

4. What assurances can the minister give that the air and water quality monitoring of industrial activities done in South Australia is completely accurate 100 per cent of the time?

The PRESIDENT: Before the minister answers that, for the benefit for the Hon. Mr Kandelaars, who is new in this place, the explanations given by the Hon. Mr Lucas and the Hon. Mr Parnell were bordering on the lines of being longwinded because brief explanations are called for. The honourable minister.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his very important questions, despite the fact there was a longwinded explanation. I assure the honourable member that I will refer this to my colleague the Hon. Mr Caica in another place and get a response to him as soon as possible.

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