[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Rosebery Heavy Metals Taskforce Moved in Parliament_C O'Connor MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO ADOPT POSITIVE GREENS PROPOSAL WELCOME, BUT...

Investigating a Heavy Metals Taskforce not the same as Actually
Establishing It

Cassy O'Connor MP
Greens Shadow Environment Spokesperson

Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today in Parliament continued to pursue their call
for the establishment of a dedicated Rosebery Heavy Metals Taskforce to
investigate the heavy metal poisoning of Rosebery residents and the
contamination of their gardens and homes.

Greens Shadow Environment spokesperson Cassy O'Connor MP welcomed the
Bartlett Government's commitment to investigating the establishment of a
taskforce to investigate the issue, but said that this is very different
to actually establishing the taskforce, something that Bartlett Labor
Government MP's did not seem to understand in Parliament today.

"I acknowledge the government's commitment to adopting the Greens'
positive proposal for a Heavy Metals Taskforce to investigate the
poisoning of Rosebery residents and the contamination of their
property," said Ms O'Connor.

"Rosebery residents are facing an intolerable situation and need to know
for sure what is going to be done to address the significant health
risks they are now facing."

"When I raised this issue again in Parliament today, I was howled down
by Bartlett government MP's who seem to believe that a Rosebery Heavy
Metals Taskforce has already been set up and that this is now 'old news'
- I can only say that committing to investigate the establishment of a
taskforce, as the government has now done, is not the same as actually
doing something for the residents of Rosebery."


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Text of the Motion tabled by Cassy O'Connor MP today:

That this House:

1.      Acknowledges the significant stress and negative health impacts
currently being felt by a number of Rosebery residents living at the
site of a water drainage, contaminated by an unknown source, with
elevated levels of heavy metals including, aluminium, arsenic, cadmium,
iron and lead;

2.      Notes that residents have reported ill health and that they are
of the strong view that the cause of their problems is poisonous water
seeping into their gardens;

3.      Further notes that blood tests on at least one resident of
Murchison Street, Rosebery, have revealed cadmium blood levels of 63
nanomoles per litre of blood when the outside limit of the acceptable
range for cadmium is 40;

4.      Strongly agrees the situation is becoming increasingly urgent
and requires an immediate co-ordinated response from government, to
build on the work already undertaken by health authorities, independent
experts and mine management since the issue first came to public
attention in early October;

5.      Calls for the urgent establishment of a dedicated Rosebery Heavy
Metals Taskforce - engaging all relevant health, environmental, social
and mineral expertise - to assist in identifying the source of toxins
being found in residents' blood, potential contaminant pathways, the
likely extent of health threat, a course for remedial action, and -
importantly - to look after the interests of affected residents in the
immediate and longer-term; and

6.      Finally, seeks to reassure Rosebery residents that everything
possible will be done as comprehensively as possible to get to the
bottom of this disturbing situation.

 




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