2016-05-23
Monday, May 23
Every West Australian should have access to safe drinking water, including people living in remote areas, according to WA Greens MLC Robin Chapple.
“High levels of nitrates are not the only issue here; where uranium is also present, even in ‘safe’ levels, this forms a compound called ‘Uranyl Nitrate’ which is highly toxic to the kidneys,” Mr Chapple said.
“There are also places like Menzies, Laverton who have Arsenic filtration systems installed where other communities in the region have not been tested for that particular substance and they absolutely should be.
“This should be a black and white issue for the state government – fix the water in every community outlined in the Auditor General’s report as a matter of priority. This includes many regional towns as well as remote communities.
“The government’s reform process is too slow where people’s safety is concerned and its scope is too narrow; these water issues have been present for a long time and documented on the public record for over a year now.
“They should be fixed as a matter of priority, not ‘considered’ as part of a lengthy bureaucratic process that focuses on the Kimberley and Pilbara; every West Australian deserves access to clean drinking water, wherever they are.
“My ‘Prevention of Forced Closures of Remote Aboriginal Communities Bill’, a draft of which I tabled during the last sitting period, deals with the protection of, and right to access, essential and municipal services.”
A copy of the bill can be found here: http://bit.ly/rcbill16
For comment please contact media liaison Tim Oliver on 0431 9696 25 or 08 9486 8255.