[Greens-Media] Poor directions

[Manderson, Roland]

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ACT GREENS MLA DEB FOSKEY MEDIA RELEASE
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20 Aug 08




Poor directions

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey put the Planning Minister on the spot today asking about the health impact component of the Tuggeranong Data Centre EIS.

"When I asked the Planning Minister Barr what he was doing to ensure the health impact analysis reached the standard set by Health Minister Gallagher he ducked the issue" Dr Foskey said today.

"However he did table his letter to the development's proponents which included his Directions issued under the Land (Planning and Environment) Act for the EIS."

 "these Directions do not ensure that the associated health impact assessment is 
§	conducted within the framework of the World Health Organisation's social determinants of health and 
§	complies with Australian guidelines for health impact assessment."

"Yet this was precisely the brief of the recently disbanded Steering Group that was set up by Health Minister Gallagher to oversee her original heath impact assessment."

"In an open letter in the Canberra Times on Monday, two members of that Steering Group made the point that best practice health assessments are conducted within the WHO framework, and comply with Australian guidelines."

"While the Health Minister appears to be happy enough with this EIS process, I cannot see how she could conclude that Mr Barr's Directions will ensure that her initial concerns will be addressed, nor why she disbanded the Steering Group that was overseeing the ongoing health impact assessment"   Dr Foskey said.


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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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