LIVING WITH LEAD ALLIANCE
The Living with Lead Alliance
The State Government announced in 2012 that the Mount Isa Lead Health Management Committee would take over from the existing Living with Lead Alliance and a governmental Senior Officers Working Group that was chaired by Queensland Health.
The first meeting of the committee was held in Mount Isa on 26 October 2012.
The new committee will consolidate and build on the excellent work already done by the Living With Lead Alliance and the Senior Officers Working Group.
The committee comprises representatives from Queensland Government agencies, Mount Isa Mines, State and Commonwealth Members of Parliament and Mount Isa City Council, with Jeannette Young as the Chair.
The other members of the new committee are: Mount Isa Mayor Tony McGrady; Member for Kennedy Bob Katter; Member for Mount Isa Robbie Katter; Commissioner for Children and Young People Elizabeth Fraser; Deputy Director-General, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Dean Ellwood; North West Hospital and Health Service Board Chair Paul Woodhouse; Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health Stewart Bell and Mount Isa Mines Chief Operating Officer Steve De Kruijff.
The appointment of the new committee underlines the Government’s commitment to dealing with the harmful effects of lead in the local environment and involving locals in any decision-making.
The committee’s main objective will be to strengthen health management strategies so as to ensure the young children of Mount Isa are protected from the harmful effects of lead in the environment.
It will also work to develop broader community-based strategies aimed at reducing exposure to environmental lead and promoting behavioural change which encompasses lead safe and hygienic living practices in the residents of Mount Isa.
Free blood lead level testing will continue to be available to all residents of Mount Isa though QML Pathology, with Xstrata Mount Isa Mines meeting the costs of this service.
The Living with Lead Alliance project officer will continue to offer the Mount Isa community a “go to” point for information at our office in Isa Street, attend community events and is available on FREE CALL 1800 457 547 for all enquiries on living safely with lead. Information is also available on our website www.livingwithlead.com.au
Dr Jeannette Young.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer and Chair of the Mount Isa Lead Health Management Committee.
The Lead Alliance Committee
The Living with Lead Alliance committee members:
Chairperson—State Member for Mount Isa Rob Katter MP
Mount Isa Mines—Chief Operating Officer Steve de Kruijff
Queensland Health—Chair North West Hospital and Health Board Paul Woodhouse
Mount Isa City Council—Mayor Councillor Tony McGrady
Lead Health Management committee members:
Jeannette Young Chief Health Officer Department of Health (Chairperson) Bob Katter—Federal Representative Member for Kennedy
Rob Katter—State Representative Member for Mount Isa
Tony McGrady—Mayor Mount Isa City Council Paul Woodhouse - Chair
North West Hospital and Health Board Barry Salmon – Commissioner
Children and Young People and Child Guardian (Acting) Dean Ellwood - Assistant Director General
Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
Paul Harrison - Commissioner Mine Safety and Health (Acting) Department of Natural Resources and Mines
Steve De Kruijff - Chief Operating Officer Mount Isa Mines North Queensland
Uma Rajappa - Director Environmental Hazards Program Health Protection Unit (Secretary)
Living with Lead Alliance
The goal of the Alliance is to achieve a sustainable improvement in the health of the Mount Isa community by effectively managing programs to assist the community in working towards a safe and healthier lifestyle for Mount Isa children.
Achieving this goal requires focus on the following objectives:
To ensure, through ongoing monitoring, that blood lead levels in children aged between 1 and 5 years are maintained at below the World Health Organisation recommendation of 10 micrograms per decilitre (ug/dL).
To stimulate behavioural change within the community so that all residents follow safe and hygienic practices for living and working in the Mount Isa environment.
To work cooperatively to reduce the potential for exposure to lead in all forms.
To be accountable to the community for monitored results achieved through regular reporting.
During 2012/2013 The Living with Lead Alliance has continued to promote healthy living in a number of programs to promote Living Safely with Lead for the Mount Isa community.
The Backyard Improvement Program Stage two: To assist residents in reducing the amount of bare soil areas in their backyards that are accessible to children. Mount Isa residents were given the opportunity to win fantastic prizes for committing to make positive changes to their backyards and reduce bare soil areas where children play, reducing the possible risk of elevated blood lead levels. LEADSmart Education Program: 100% of Mount Isa schools, kindergartens and day care centres are
now part of the LEADSmart Education Program.
Healthy Eating Recipe Book: The Alliance developed a Healthy Eating Recipe Book of which 30,000 copies have been distributed throughout the Mount Isa community in 2012-13.
Living safely with Lead brochure: This brochure has been developed to incorporate all the Alliance key messages into one brochure.
The Living with Lead Alliance has attended many events throughout Mount Isa for 2012/13 to promote Living Safely with Lead messages to all parents, carers and children and will continue to do so through 2013/14.
Rob Katter MP State member for Mount Isa Chair for the Living with Lead Alliance
Alliance Partners
Mount Isa Mines
Mount Isa Mines has come a long way in transitioning our complex, 90-year operations to meet modern environmental standards. Over the past decade, we’ve invested in excess of $290 million targeting continuous environmental improvements, particularly in the areas of air quality, water management, waste reduction, and reducing our energy and carbon intensities.
Supporting the Living with Lead Alliance: As a founding member of the Living with Lead Alliance we are committed to the mission of informing the local community about how to live safely in an environment where lead exists both from natural and industrial sources. We further support the Alliance’s work through our existing community engagement channels, including: Making LWLA information available to our visitors and stakeholders (i.e. reception, health clinic, public events, new employee welcome packs), Promoting the Alliance on our website, Hosting the LWLA at our 2013 Mining Expo display (approx. 900 info packs distributed), Funding of the free and independent blood lead testing program through QML, Education, support and free blood lead testing for our people and their families.
Release of the Lead Pathways Study Water Report: During 2012-13, The University of Queensland’s Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation (CMLR), in collaboration with the National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), continued work on the Lead Pathways Study. It is the most comprehensive study of its kind in Australia, investigating the natural and industrial pathways of lead and other heavy metals into the Mount Isa community and assessing the potential risks to human and environmental health. The health and wellbeing of our people and the community is paramount and studies like this are helping us identify further opportunities to improve our environmental performance.
In September 2012, the Water Report was released and concluded that the risk to human health from heavy metals and other metalloids in the Leichhardt River Catchment, including Lake Moondarra, was low. We welcomed the findings of the Water Report and are continuing to implement all of its five recommendations. This followed the release of the Land Report in 2009, showing the risk to human health from historical mine sediment was low. The Land Report also resulted in a number of key environmental improvement initiatives, including the Leichhardt River Remediation Project.
The Air Report is the most complex and comprehensive of the three reports and is due to be released in 2013.
Improvements in environmental performance: We now operate under a modern environmental regulatory regime, following our successful transition in December 2011 to a new Environmental Authority. As part of this process, we have a Transitional Environmental Program (TEP) in place for certain air and water conditions, and are implementing an annual improvement program to achieve full compliance in these areas by 1 January 2017. Over the five years from 2012-16, we are committed to undertaking works and projects (examples below) valued at approximately $360 million that will further improve our environmental performance.
Steve de Kruijff
Chief Operating Officer - Mount Isa Mines
Queensland Health
Queensland Health, through the North West Hospital and Health Service is a committed partner in the Living With Lead Alliance. We encourage all residents of Mount Isa to be proactive in the health of their children and to participate actively in the Alliance’s message about managing personal hygiene habits and the environment of the home. In this vital City, proactive safety messaging remains an important tool in minimising exposure to lead, and must go hand in hand with an effective and deliverable program of monitoring. Additionally, we encourage all parents and carers to ask their medical practitioners to include a blood lead test whenever their child is undergoing a blood test for any reason. Alternatively, the NWHHS does encourage community members, especially children, to utilise the blood lead testing service which is available free of charge at QML Pathology, Isa Street, Mount Isa.
Paul Woodhouse Chair NWHHS Board
Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) is a member of the Mount Isa Lead Health Management Committee (MILHMC), contributing financially and in-kind to MILHMC activities carried out under the Living with Lead Alliance
branding. EHP provides technical support to the MILHMC and advises on matters pertaining to Xstrata Mount Isa Mines (XMIM) environmental responsibilities.
The Queensland Government maintains two air quality monitoring stations in Mount Isa, one located at Menzies and a near-real time air monitoring station located at the Gap. The monitoring station at the Gap provides near real time air monitoring data for lead and other heavy metals. Air quality monitoring data from these monitoring stations is available on line at
www.ehp.qld.gov.au.
EHP continues to monitor XMIM environmental performance through regular compliance inspections of the mine, as well as through the review of data obtained from ongoing environmental monitoring carried out by the Queensland Government and by XMIM. EHP works closely with XMIM on achieving compliance with the legislative requirements under the site’s environmental authority.
Rob Lawrence
Executive Director Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
Alliance Partners
Mount Isa City Council
Mount Isa City Council is a proud founding member and major contributor to the Living with Lead Alliance, assisting wherever possible to support the Alliance’s activities and promote the living safely with lead message. Mount Isa City Council has demonstrated its support of the Alliance across the past year in a number of ways including through my high-profile involvement as Mayor in LWLA initiatives including the inaugural 2013 gardening competition and through provision of letters of support for Alliance initiatives. Council has also assisted the Alliance to raise awareness of its programs, activities and message by hosting representatives at events where practicable and taking every opportunity to reinforce the living safely with lead message such as by outlining healthy practices in our water wise information flyer. Council has also been a generous provider of financial support in 2012/13 which is set to continue into the future.
The importance of a safe and healthy lifestyle for all Mount Isans cannot be underestimated and is an issue taken very seriously by Mount Isa City Council as we endeavour to continuously improve quality of life in our city. As such, Council commend and appreciate the work of the Living with Lead Alliance and are pleased to work with them in support of a safe and healthy Mount Isa for all. We look forward to maintaining our fruitful partnership with the Alliance for many years to come.
Hon. Cr Tony McGrady AM
Mayor of Mount Isa Mount Isa City Council
Total number of 1800 calls received for 2012-13: 193
In 2013 the Living with Lead Alliance website was re-designed to enable visitors to navigate the site more easily.
The Alliance now has face book and twitter accounts available to the Mount Isa community to follow our regular updates.
www.LivingWithLeadAlliance.com.au, Facebook.com/LivingWithLeadAlliance
Twitter.com/LivingWithLeadAlliance
Brochures and posters are distributed annually to the following groups:
All local schools, kindergartens & playgroups.
Government departments - DEHP, QLD Health,
Housing, Council, DATSIMA.
All local employment and real estate agencies and
All local accommodation venues.
Centacare, Mount Isa Mines, Chamber of
Commerce, MICDA, Family Centre, Library.
All local medical services.
Distributed at local community events.
Part of the Living with Lead Alliance commitment to deliver information on living safely with lead, over 25,000 brochures, 2,000 posters, 30,000 recipe books and 15,000 fact sheets, have been distributed throughout the Mount Isa community in 2012-13.
To assist the children of our community associate Squeaky with our living safely with lead messages, the Alliance has distributed over 50,000 products incorporating the “Squeaky says be lead smart” message including; pencil cases, rainbow pencils, colour in sheets, temporary tattoos, squeaky brochure, balloons and stickers.
Community Events the Living with Lead Alliance has attended in 2012 and 2013:
Mount Isa Show
Mount Isa Mining Expo
Playgroup in the Park
Welcoming Babies Day
Centacare NAIDOC Family Fun Day
NAIDOC Family Fun Day
Early Childcare Family Fun Day
Mount Isa Rodeo Mardi Gras
Centacare Open Day
The Living with Lead Alliance in the Mount Isa community
The Living with Lead Alliance has taken part in many community events and meetings. Through work within the community, the Living with Lead Alliance has been able to network and develop relationships with many local businesses and community groups which have been paramount to new projects.
At community events, the Alliance is able to discuss one on one the issues of lead in Mount Isa with locals and visitors. Through these community events the Alliance has received great praise for work within the community and support from many residents.
The Living with Lead Alliance is also a member of the Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce.
Since it’s inception in 2009 the LEADSmart Education Program has been welcomed by all educational facilities in Mount Isa.
In 2012 100% of Mount Isa schools, day care centres and kindergartens are now part of our LEADSmart Education Program.
The LEADSmart Education Program aims to educate Mount Isa teachers, parents, and students/children about the facts on lead, how to reduce the risk of elevated blood lead levels and promote the Living with Lead Alliance key messages: Wet Wipe, Wash and Eat Well.
All educational facilities that are LEADSmart incorporate the Living with Lead Alliance key messages through school activities.
Information on Living Safely with Lead is readily available at all facilities for new families and children enrolling at a LEADSmart School, Day Care Centre or Kindergarten.
Community Groups
Over the past 12 months the Alliance has worked hard to implement strategies to improve education and awareness of lead in Mount Isa. The Alliance joins the Safe Community’s team with a mutual understanding that safety is everybody’s business.
The Alliance has been a valued member of the Centacare Communities for Children committee since 2010 through to 2013.
The Mount Isa Safe Community Initiative commenced in 2002, using the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) model for injury prevention.
The initiative aims to create sustainable, evidence based programs. These programs in turn are targeted towards High—risk groups within the population and injury areas of significance for the local area. Within the Mount Isa Safe Community program, the Living with Lead Alliance provides a forum for guiding and driving action on the issues of lead in the community of Mount Isa.
The Living with Lead Alliance has been an active member, of the membership group and has been working tirelessly to implement a number of injury prevention strategies since coming on board in 2008.
The Alliance has been a valued member of the Centacare Communities for Children committee since 2010. This C4C committee is dedicated to improving the lifestyle of children in the Mount Isa community, organising several events and playgroups. Working closely with over twenty community groups and organisations to ensure that our children are receiving the beneficial assistance they need.
Developing Partnerships in Nutrition:
The Alliance produced a Healthy Eating Recipe Book which was delivered to all Mount Isa residents, given out at the 2011 Mardi Gras and has been reprinted twice for a total of 30,000 copies distributed at fun days and community events throughout 2011/2013.
Community Awareness Campaign:
Three new brochures have been designed, printed and distributed throughout the Mount Isa community in 2012/2013, ensuring the community is informed on the Alliances key messages on living safely with lead.
LEADSmart Education Program:
In 2012 100% of Mount Isa educational facilities; including all state and catholic schools, kindergartens and day care centres have joined our LEADSmart Education Program.
Professional Development Campaign:
As part of the Alliance commitment to keep the community informed on how to live safely with lead, the Alliance commissioned Dr Mark Little leading toxicologist and emergency physician to deliver public information seminars to all residents.
Backyard Improvement Program:
Early 2012 The Living with Lead Alliance developed partnerships with Southern Gulf Catchments and The Mount Isa Rose Garden, to implement a Backyard Improvement Program for the Mount Isa community. The aim of the program is to encourage the community to reduce the amount of bare soil areas accessible to children, reducing the risk of elevated blood lead levels. With sponsors Skytrans, North West Star and Mitre 10, enabled the Alliance to offer great prizes for this stage one of the competition.
Early 2013 the second stage of the Backyard Improvement Program competition has been launched to Mount Isa residents.
The Living with Lead Alliance launched a new program in 2012 giving Mount Isa families the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes including a family holiday to Cairns by joining our Backyard Improvement Program competition.
The aim of this program is to assist residents to reduce the amount of bare soil areas in their backyards that are accessible to young children, ensuring we work together as a community to reduce the possible risk of high blood lead levels in our children. This initiative of the Alliance is part of our commitment to continuously work with the Mount Isa community for a healthy lifestyle. In 2012 we had a fantastic response to this program with 19 families making
a change and improve their lifestyle ensuring their children have a safe and healthy environment to play.
In early 2013 stage two Backyard Improvement Program competition was launched with 24 residents entering this years competition.
The Backyard Improvement Program
Sponsors of this program are: Skytrans Airlines, Mount Isa Rose Garden Nursery, Mount Isa Hardware Mitre 10, Southern Gulf Catchments and The North West Star.
It is essential that the Mount Isa community contribute to improving the health, safety and wellbeing of Mount Isa city children, they are our future and essential to the growth of our community and it showed in the number of entrants to this competition.
As part of our professional development campaign, The Living with Lead Alliance provide annual lead education seminars for the Mount Isa community.
These seminars are available to local General Practitioners, Allied Health Workers, Teachers, Nurses and Doctors and all residents of Mount Isa.
The seminars are carried out by Dr Mark Little Emergency Physician and leading toxicologist and give residents the opportunity to raise and questions or queries on living safely with lead in the community.
In 2011 Dr Little presented 5 seminars in 2012 and 2 seminars in 2013 including a public information seminar. With an encouraging number of Mount Isa residents attending these
seminars, the Alliance is committed to keeping our community informed of the relevant information available covering topics such as; how lead enters the body, toxic effects of lead
and how to reduce the possible risk of high blood lead levels.
The seminar presentations are made publically available to all residents on the Living with Lead Alliance website; www.livingwithlead.com.au.
Living safely with lead Newsletter
E-newsletter
The Living with Lead Alliance e-newsletter was created in November 2009. The newsletter is distributed quarterly to a wide range of community members. The e-newsletter has been a successful avenue for the Alliance to advertise and promote local projects and information.
Subscription to the e-newsletter grew from 30 members to 150 within two months of it being introduced.
The newsletter can be downloaded from our website.
Topics covered:
Healthy Kids Program
Backyard Improvement
Program
Dr Mark Little Seminars
Community events Diary
Education Materials Available
Free Blood Lead Level testing
available
Do you have questions about
lead?
How to contact us