Lead Still Polluting Kid’s Blood in Broken Hill Latest Report Confirms
NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann has condemned the Minns Government's response to the ongoing lead crisis in Broken Hill, after the latest Lead Program Annual Report revealed that more than one-third of young children in the city still have elevated blood lead levels and Aboriginal children continue to bear the greatest burden of exposure.
The report found that 35% of children aged one to four years in Broken Hill have blood lead levels above the national investigation guideline, while 56% of Aboriginal children have elevated blood lead levels, double the rate of non-Aboriginal children. The report estimates that 279 young children are living with blood lead levels above the guideline. It also states that Aboriginal children continue to experience blood lead levels around 1.6 times higher than non-Aboriginal children.
"Every year we get another report showing Broken Hill children are being poisoned by lead, and every year the Government expresses concern,” said Ms Faehrmann.
"It is a national shame that Aboriginal children in Broken Hill are still twice as likely to have dangerous levels of lead in their blood."
"The reality is that ongoing mining activity and historic contamination continue to spread lead through the environment, but they’re refusing to do what’s necessary to tackle the source of the pollution. No child should grow up with lead in their blood because governments lack the courage to stand up to mining interests.
"Lead exposure is linked to lifelong impacts on learning, development and health. We are talking about children being harmed before they even start school."
"When hundreds of children are still being exposed to lead and more than half of Aboriginal children are above the national guideline, $37 million spread over four years is an insult. That's less than $10 million a year to deal with one of the worst environmental health crises affecting children anywhere in Australia.
“The Government needs to listen to local First Nations voices, including the local Aboriginal health organisation Maari Ma. Their calls for greater investment in safe and secure housing, including more social housing, for First Nations families in Broken Hill continue to be ignored by this government.