Ignoring Concerns from Director of Public Health
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today continued to call on Health Minister Lara Giddings to cease prioritising the economics of the forest industry over and above the health of Tasmanians, and to take action to prevent the repeated contamination of Tasmanian drinking water supplies with the Triazine group of herbicides.
Greens Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said that when rejecting previous Greens’ calls for action to protect Tasmanians from the ongoing contamination of their drinking water supplies, the Health Minister has repeatedly referred to the Director of Public Health Roscoe Taylor, but selectively failed to acknowledge that in May 2008 Dr Taylor called for the use of Atrazine and Simazine in Tasmania to be “reconsidered,” and that in April this year Dr Taylor also called for an end to all aerial spraying.
“If Health Minister Giddings wants to use Dr Taylor as a shield then she should at least acknowledge that he too has serious concerns about the human health implications of Triazine herbicides being found in Tasmanian drinking water supplies,” said Ms O’Connor.
“The Health Minister says that she takes Dr Taylor’s advice ‘extremely seriously,’ so what has she has done about Dr Taylor’s concerns regarding Atrazine and Simazine? Has she ‘reconsidered’ the use of these dangerous endocrine-disrupting chemicals, as called for by Dr Taylor, or has she done nothing while the contamination of drinking water supplies goes on and on?”
“The forest industry is a heavy user of Triazines, and it is quite logical to conclude that the Bartlett Government and Health Minister Lara Giddings are prioritising the economics of the forest industry over and above the health of Tasmanians.”
“There is plenty of established and emerging scientific research to demonstrate that Triazine herbicides disrupt the human endocrine system which regulates hormone production, and has impacts on reproduction, the immune system and physical development. Triazines have also been linked with a number of different cancers.”
“The Health Minister has a duty of care to protect the health of Tasmanians and the Greens are calling on the Minister to meet her duty of care regarding contaminated drinking water supplies, and to immediately work with her Cabinet colleagues to ban the use of the Triazine chemicals across Tasmania,” said Ms O’Connor.
Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Health Spokesperson
