In positive news, the State government has confirmed it will look to assist in ensuring Lead Testing Programs continue in the Silver City.
Broken Hill has one of the country’s highest background lead levels, due to historic mining practices which have caused lead levels in the town’s soil too be elevated.
In a letter to Mayor Tom Kennedy, Minister for Environment and Heritage, James Griffin, said he understood the concerns both Council and the Broken Hill community had about ongoing lead contamination.
“Please be assured that I am working with my NSW government colleagues to secure resources from the program,” the minister said.
“I have asked the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with NSW Health to develop a future strategy for a lead response in Broken Hill.”
Cllr Kennedy told us the response from the Environment Minister was much more positive than the correspondence received previously from Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
“They acknowledged the importance of addressing lead in our city, so we are much more confident [of further funding to continue the program from the State government],” Mayor Kennedy said.
