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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-02-24 Daily Xml
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Site Contamination, Clovelly Park and Mitchell Park

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:22): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on site contamination, Environment Protection Authority board review.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: On 18 February 2015 I received a report prepared by a committee of the board of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) appointed to review the management of legacy site contamination in South Australia. The committee was chaired by Ms Cheryl Batagol, the chair of the EPA in Victoria, and consulted broadly in reaching its findings. The committee presented its report to the EPA board on 10 February 2015, and the EPA board agreed to endorse the 11 recommendations. The review followed significant public attention about results from the testing for indoor TCE vapour levels in some homes in Clovelly Park.

The committee concluded that legacy site contamination in South Australia is generally well managed, but there are opportunities to improve, particularly in relation to interagency coordination, capability, community engagement and transparency. The report is publicly available on the EPA website at www.epa.sa.gov.au. The report contains 11 recommendations, which are grouped into five categories: working together; building capability; working with the community; transparency and accountability; and urban reviewal—unlocking potential. Key recommendations include:

1. a whole-of-government mechanism for responding to significant and complex site contamination cases;

2. formalisation of the mutual roles and responsibilities of the EPA and SA Health in relation to cases that involve a public health risk and developing a protocol with local government, including a communications and engagement plan, for managing site contamination issues;

3. finalising reforms aimed at ensuring clear, consistent and risk-based consideration of site contamination at all levels within the state's planning system;

4. developing a proactive identification and assessment process for potentially contaminated sites;

5. developing a protocol on community engagement that takes into account the need to inform and work with affected residents early, regularly and effectively; and

6. a state government policy on management of contaminated public land and abandoned privately owned land, aimed at minimising risks and optimising opportunities for urban renewal.

These recommendations reflect the issues considered most important by the committee in order to strengthen the foundation for effective management of legacy site contamination issues.

One of the most significant reforms identified by the committee is the need to continue to improve on the delivery of information to the community. It is clear that communities want available information to be provided in a clear and timely manner, and involvement in decision making processes. I am pleased to support the intent of this recommendation from the review.

The EPA is already working to implement recommendations relevant to its processes through the establishment of an executive level steering group. Other recommendations relate to cross-government policy and will require coordination by the EPA with agencies including SA Health, Renewal SA, Housing SA, the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

The chief executive of the EPA will establish a working group to coordinate the implementation of these recommendations. The challenge posed by legacy site contamination is complex and requires a holistic and cohesive response from government. It is a challenge being faced around the nation and indeed internationally. Improvements in scientific understanding and technologies to measure and mitigate such contamination is constantly improving and so too must our policies.

I welcome the review's recommendations and I thank Ms Batagol and the committee for their work which will contribute to the future management of legacy site contamination in South Australia and other jurisdictions. Whilst it is publicly available, I table the report of the EPA's Site Contamination Review Committee.

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