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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-14 Daily Xml
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PORT PIRIE BLOOD LEAD LEVELS

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question about the provision of information to local government.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The minister may be aware of a recent media report in The Advertiser on Monday highlighting the fact that a survey of lead contamination in Port Pirie—the largest survey, I understand, in 30 years—was recently undertaken by the Department of Health. It allegedly found that one in every five sites surveyed contained levels of lead in the soil above the nationally determined limit of 600 milligrams per kilogram. Some sites registered as high as 7,546 milligrams per kilogram, some 12½ times the national limit. It is clear that the lead contamination in Port Pirie is actually a serious issue and it has significant impact for the residents, especially children, in that community.

The media report—and I say 'allegedly' because the journalist indicated that they had not actually been able to secure a copy of the report, other than sighting it from a disgruntled state public servant—has not been publicly released. Certainly in the story it was indicated by the Mayor or Port Pirie, Brendan Vanstone, that he had not seen the report and he has indicated that he wishes to see it. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does he think that the Port Pirie council should have been provided with copies of this report and, if that is the case, why has this not occurred as yet, given that the results have been available, apparently, since as early as April this year?

2. Is the minister confident that the council in Port Pirie can, in fact, make informed decisions about what actions may or may not be required to safeguard the health and welfare of its residents, particularly the children?

3. Can the minister assure this house that he will immediately act to ensure that the provision of this report is made available to the council of Port Pirie? If he cannot, does the minister think this undermines his role as Minister for State/Local Government Relations?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:15): I thank the honourable member for her question. On 12 November 2012 The Advertiser reported that SA Health had conducted a survey of lead contamination in Port Pirie on 353 council-owned land sites, and found lead concentrations ranging up to 7,545 milligrams per kilogram, with 20 per cent of sites at about the safety level of 600 milligrams per kilogram.

The main aim of the survey was to ensure that SA Health's public health program to reduce children's blood lead levels remained focused on delivering strategies and interventions to families in the most affected parts of the city, where children are most at risk, and continued to deliver assistance to those most in need. To achieve this aim, a study of soil lead concentration gradients across the city, sampled from sites including footpaths, vacant land, public parks and nature strips, is being conducted by SA Health to:

1. determine if case management interventions and community lead exposure reduction strategies delivered by SA Health require modification to maximise effects to reduce children's blood lead levels;

2. understand more about the changing role of soil in lead exposure pathways as smelter lead emissions reduce; and

3. review designated high, medium and low lead exposure risk regions of the city that were informed by the last survey of this scale conducted in 1984.

I am advised that results from this survey cannot be extrapolated or used to predict lead concentrations in residential properties, because there are substantial differences in the concentrations measured over short distances and between different land uses in Port Pirie. I am further advised that results from this survey cannot be used to assess land exposure, risk or safety for the public at the sites, because the accessibility of soil has not been analysed at these sample sites. I am also advised that in many cases the soil is unlikely to be accessible and ingested at these locations. Ingestion is the primary route of lead exposure for children.

I am also advised that SA Health is proposing to work with the Port Pirie Regional Council to undertake investigations and exposure assessments—including the examination of existing barriers to bare soil such as grass, mulch, groundcover, etc.—at sites with lead concentrations above the national health investigation level, noting that this level cannot be interpreted as a safe level, as purported by The Advertiser;rather, it is a level at which a risk assessment is warranted. I am advised that the survey report is not finalised and therefore not currently available for release. Once complete, SA Health intends to present the report to the Port Pirie council and make it available to the public.

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