❓ The WA government outlines measures to monitor and safeguard the health of the Wagerup community following the planned expansion of the Alcoa Wagerup refinery, including health monitoring, independent reviews, and the establishment of an Environmental Health Foundation.
AnsweredQoN 834Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Can the Minister explain to the Parliament how the Government will monitor and how does it intend to safeguard the health of the Wagerup community following the planned expansion of the Alcoa Wagerup refinery?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
27 June 2003
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Response time
16 days
Senior Ministers from the Ministerial Council on Health, Environment and Industry Sustainability confirm there will be no Government support for any planned expansion program for Alcoa’s Wagerup refinery until the current community issues have been resolved and there is broad-based community support. In the meantime, the following measures designed to protect the health of the community have, or are in the process of being enacted.
Data and statistics from a Community Health Nurse placed at the Yarloop Hospital are being gathered and provided to the Department of Health (DOH). The first formal report from the Nurse was recently presented to the DOH. Original plans to conduct this service for six months have been revised to extend the project for a further six months.
The DOH presented the Nurse’s report to the Medical Practitioner’s Forum (MPF) at a meeting on June 4. The MPF is an independent group of medical experts, Chaired by Professor D’Arcy Holman. The MPF provides recommendations at both agency level and to Government through the Ministerial Council in response to identified health concerns of the community.
Positioning of the Nurse has already provided valuable data to the Government. However, this relates only to visitors to the clinic. As a result, the DOH is developing a proposal for a health census of the wider community. This is likely to be one-on-one type census, which will provide to government, an expanded snapshot of the health of the community. The MPF will first consider and report on the value and proposed methodology of the census.
Senior officers of the DOH continue to be involved at community and government agency level, over-viewing results from the emissions monitoring program. This monitoring period, sampling will be undertaken by the CSIRO to ensure full independence. Officers will provide advice related to health, and ensure compliance with health standards of the World Health Organisation and other regulatory bodies.
The DOH will assess any additional health issues raised by the community.
The MPF has recommended to Government, the establishment of an Environmental Health Foundation (EHF). Drawing on the State’s best medical expertise, the EHF will be based at a West Australian University and will provide fully independent expert advice to Government. It will deal with the question of community health concerns relating to industrial emissions or other health exposures from a wide range of industries, and its work will therefore not simply be confined to the Wagerup issue. Tenders for placement of the Foundation will be called shortly.
Data and statistics from a Community Health Nurse placed at the Yarloop Hospital are being gathered and provided to the Department of Health (DOH). The first formal report from the Nurse was recently presented to the DOH. Original plans to conduct this service for six months have been revised to extend the project for a further six months.
The DOH presented the Nurse’s report to the Medical Practitioner’s Forum (MPF) at a meeting on June 4. The MPF is an independent group of medical experts, Chaired by Professor D’Arcy Holman. The MPF provides recommendations at both agency level and to Government through the Ministerial Council in response to identified health concerns of the community.
Positioning of the Nurse has already provided valuable data to the Government. However, this relates only to visitors to the clinic. As a result, the DOH is developing a proposal for a health census of the wider community. This is likely to be one-on-one type census, which will provide to government, an expanded snapshot of the health of the community. The MPF will first consider and report on the value and proposed methodology of the census.
Senior officers of the DOH continue to be involved at community and government agency level, over-viewing results from the emissions monitoring program. This monitoring period, sampling will be undertaken by the CSIRO to ensure full independence. Officers will provide advice related to health, and ensure compliance with health standards of the World Health Organisation and other regulatory bodies.
The DOH will assess any additional health issues raised by the community.
The MPF has recommended to Government, the establishment of an Environmental Health Foundation (EHF). Drawing on the State’s best medical expertise, the EHF will be based at a West Australian University and will provide fully independent expert advice to Government. It will deal with the question of community health concerns relating to industrial emissions or other health exposures from a wide range of industries, and its work will therefore not simply be confined to the Wagerup issue. Tenders for placement of the Foundation will be called shortly.
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