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❓ Question on Notice regarding drinking water quality testing in remote Aboriginal communities, focusing on transparency, contractor selection, and historical radiation detection. The Minister deferred the answer to another question.

AnsweredQoN 96Legislative Council

Asked

29 April 2025

Member

Hon Dr Brad Pettitt

Portfolio

Health Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the Minister’s answers to question on notice 2173, and I ask: (a) are the annual reports on drinking water quality in remote Aboriginal communities prepared by WSP, an international engineering organisation with over 65,000 employees worldwide with its head office based in the United Kingdom; (b) for how long has Eurofins/Analytical Reference Laboratory (Eurofins/ARL) of Western Australia been testing drinking water samples from remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia; (c) in which country are the staff employed by WSP, who write up the annual reports on drinking water safety in remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia, based; (d) does Eurofins/ARL provide the individual initial laboratory reports (i.e. the monthly microbiological examinations reports, the 3 monthly nitrate analysis reports, the 6 monthly chemical analysis reports and the radiochemical analyses reports) to WSP; (e) if Eurofins/ARL do not provide the monthly microbiological examinations reports, the 3 monthly nitrate analysis reports, the 6 monthly chemical analysis reports and the radiochemical analyses reports to WSP, who does provide these reports to WSP; (f) who provides the Department of Health of Western Australia with copies of the monthly microbiological examination reports, the 3 monthly nitrate analysis reports, the 6 monthly chemical analysis reports and the radiochemical analyses reports; (g) why doesn’t the Health Department use PathWest to test drinking water and swimming water samples from remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia; (h) why doesn’t the Chemistry Centre WA test drinking water samples from remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia; (i) where can the public access copies of Eurofins/ARL’s monthly microbiological examination reports for remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia; (j) where can the public access copies of Eurofins/ARL’s 3 monthly nitrate analysis reports for the remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia; (k) where can the public access copies of Eurofins/ARL’s 6 monthly chemical analysis reports for remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia; (l) where can the public access copies of Eurofins/ARL’s annual/biannual radiochemical analysis reports for remote Aboriginal Communities in Western Australia; (m) if there isn't currently public access to the documents listed in (i)-(l), will the Minister please table copies of these documents; (n) if no to (m), why not; and (o) in response to question on notice 2173, 3(b)-(c), the Minister said, "No radiation has been detected". Isn't it true that radiation has been detected in previous annual water quality reports for the Ngaanyatjarra lands (e.g. Warakurna)?