Ms. Saffioti questions the Minister for Planning regarding water quality testing and health impacts at the Elizabeth Quay water park. The Minister responds, stating the MRA followed Department of Health protocols and that the first notification of pathogenic organisms was recent.

AnsweredQoN 74Legislative Assembly
Asked
24 February 2016
Portfolio
Planning

QuestionView source ↗

ELIZABETH QUAY WATER PARK — WATER QUALITY
74. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the Minister for
Planning:
I refer to issues regarding water quality at the BHP Billiton water
park.
(1) What tests were undertaken for the
opening of the water park on Friday, 5 February, for two to three hours, and
when did the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority receive those?
(2) Why did the MRA ignore results from 15 February regarding
contaminants in the filter?
(3) How many children have had their health affected by the poor water
quality?

AnswerView source ↗

(1)–(3) In relation to the last
question, I do not know how many children, if any, have been definitively
identified as being affected by water quality at the water park. There have
certainly been a couple of children, I understand, who have presented in the
last few days or so who had been playing in the water park in the last week or
so. It is important to understand, as I explained in debate earlier today, that
the first notification of any pathogenic—that is, disease-causing organism—was
on Monday of this week. Prior to then, the only indication of any issue at all
was in relation to non-pathogenic, non-disease-causing amoebae, and there was
testing done by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority according to the
protocols, as I am advised, of the Department of Health in relation to the
operation of aquatic facilities. The Department of Health and other government
entities in this state, and certainly local governments, have experience in the
operation of these sorts of facilities because they exist in other parts of the
state—for example, in Forrest Place. As I said earlier, the MRA at all
times has been following the advice and direction of the Department of Health
to ensure that public safety is protected.

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