PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES __________ No. 38 __________ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ____________________ THIRD SESSION OF THE FIFTIETH PARLIAMENT ____________________ WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER 1993 (On the first sitting day after an adjournment of more than one week a full Questions and Answers Paper is published containing all unanswered questions. On the first sitting day of other weeks only the numbers for unanswered questions will be listed. On other days only answers and new questions are published). Notice given on date shown LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Wednesday 15 December 1993 Page 824 3 MARCH 1993 *82 Mr Jones asked the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs and Minister for Employment and Training representing the Minister for Health___ (1) Are composting toilets permitted to be installed in new houses throughout New South Wales? (2) Are composting toilets environmentally safe and economically viable? (3) If so, will the Minister ensure that householders are permitted to install this type of toilet if they choose? (4) How much water does the average flushing type toilet use in a household of four occupants in the course of a year? Answer___ (1) The decision as to whether or not a humus closet may be installed in a particular premises rests with the Local Government under the provisions of Local Government Act, 1993, Approvals Regulation. Councils can, however, under clause 75 of the Approvals Regulation only approve waste treatment devices which satisfy the requirements of the Director General of Health. The NSW Health Department has issued design approvals on a number of humus closets and a number of other applications are currently under review. The only restriction on the installation of a humans closet exists where the premises are located in a sewered area and the owner of a premises is required to connect the premises to a sewerage system. This is a requirement of Section 124 of the Local Government Act. (2) Provided humans closets are installed in accordance with the conditions attached to the design approval and the composted humus material is disposed of in accordance with the Health Departments guidelines, humans closets may be regarded as environmentally safe. The question of humus closets economic viability depends upon the installation cost of the humus closet as compared to the installation cost of water closet and septic tank, plus consideration of ongoing water costs. If a humus closet is proposed, separate arrangements still need to be made for the disposal of all sullage waters form the bathroom, kitchen and laundry. If the sullage is to be treated on site a separate septic tank is usually required as well as some dedicated area of land for irrigation of the effluent. (3) This is outside the ambit of the Minister for Health and the NSW Health Department. The installation of humus closets is administered by Local Councils under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1993. (4) Water usage for a family of four persons occupying a premise for a period of one year will vary considerably. Factors to be considered are: (a) duration of each persons occupation of the premises per day, number of times the toilet is used and flushed, and the capacity of the flush. (b) Assuming that the premises are unsewered and the toilet has a dual flush 3/6L, and the toilet is flushed on an average of three times per person per day, water usage may be estimated to range between 13,140 to 26, 280 litres per year. Page 825 *120 Mr Jones asked the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs and Minister for Employment and Training representing the Minister for Health___ ((a)) How many children between the ages of 12 months and 48 months with blood lead levels above the current National Health and Medical Research Councils "level of concern" live in the Central and Southern Sydney Area Health Service? ((b)) What has been done to locate these children? ((c)) What advice is given to families of "at-risk" children? ((d)) What counselling services are provided? ((e)) What is the Health Department doing to discourage unsafe leaded paint removal in homes? ((f)) Will the Minister negotiate with the Environment Protection Authority to produce guidelines for adequate remediation standards and equipment and procedures for individual property owners who wish to protect young residents from soil and house dust lead contamination? ((g)) Will the Government have a combined lead task force using the resources of both the Environment Protection Authority and the Health Department? ((h)) Will lead poisoning prevention centres be set up in high risk areas? Answer___ (1) It is estimated that approximately 2%-3% of children in Central and Southern Sydney could have blood lead levels above 25 ug/dL, the former "level of concern" set by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 1987. These estimates are based on studies conducted in the inner city where the prevalence of elevated blood lead concentrations may be higher than throughout the whole metropolitan area. (2) Work is currently being undertaken to determine areas of highest risk in the Central and Southern Sydney Area. The results of this work will allow a more accurate estimation of the prevalence and distribution of elevated blood lead concentrations and will give an indication of the feasibility of screening high risk areas. (3) Parents of at-risk children who contact the Public Health Unit for Central and Southern Sydney for advice are advised to have the children's blood lead levels measured. This blood test can be taken by the child's general practitioner or at the children's hospital with a referral from the general practitioner. (4) The Public Health Unit for Central and Southern Sydney provides advice on minimising children's exposure to environmental lead. (5) The Public Health Unit for Central and Southern Sydney has repeatedly publicised the need for chemical removal of old paint, followed by a meticulous cleanup, rather than removal by abrasion and heat. The NSW lead Taskforce is currently preparing an education strategy to inform the people of NSW about the hazards of environmental lead contamination and of the steps that they can take as individuals to minimise their exposure. Page 826 (6) Yes. Some guidelines for adequate remediation standards are contained in the NSW Lead Issues Paper, a document prepared by the Department of Health and Environment Protection Authority. More comprehensive guidelines for lead paint removal and for minimising the lead hazard in residential areas will be included in the education materials prepared by the NSW Lead Taskforce. (7) Yes. The Interdepartmental Lead Taskforce was established in May 1993. (8) Lead Centres have been established in Broken Hill and Boolaroo. 125 Mr Jones asked the Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing___ (1) Is it correct that five prime waterfront lots at Big Jims Point are being auctioned? (2) Why have the plans to create Mount Olive National Park on the above mentioned land, not been implemented? Answer___ (1) This question relates to land on the Hawkesbury River in Gosford City Council area, between Barr Point and Spencer. The Department of Planning does not have a statutory responsibility under any planning instrument to acquire land in this vicinity. I am therefore, unaware of the sale of any land in this area which would involve my portfolio. (2) The land the Honourable Member refers to is in the vicinity of land being investigated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in relation to the Mt. White addition to the Brisbane Waters National Park. This matter therefore falls within the portfolio of my colleague, the Hon. C. Hartcher, MP, Minister for the Environment. 31 MARCH 1993 *160 Mr O'Grady asked the Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing representing the Minister for Transport and Minister for Tourism___ (a) Have trial evacuations been conducted on the Jetcat vessels to ascertain their safety? (b) If so, how many trials have been conducted? (c) When were the trials conducted? Were the trials conducted before or after the Jetcat vessels came into operation? (d) Have the trials included passengers of all ages, particularly the elderly? (e) In what conditions were the trials conducted? (f) Were the trials timed? If so, what were the results? Do the results meet international and Australian safety standards? (g) Will the Minister release the results of such trials? Page 827 Answer___ (1) Yes. (2) One trial on the "Blue Fin" and one trial on the "Sir David Martin". (3) (a) The "Blue Fin" trial in about April 1990, the "Sir David Martin" trial in about December 1990. (b) Before the vessels came into operation. (4) A large number of people of mixed ages were involved in the trials. There was no specific concentration on elderly passengers. (5) The "Blue Fin" was tested in Sydney Harbour simulating a full passenger loading of 50% number using 50% of available exits, and using three crew. The "Sir David Martin" was tested in Cairns, prior to delivery, under similar conditions, using four crew. (6) (a) Yes. (b) Test 1 - 16 minutes. Test 2 - less than eight minutes. (c) Yes. (7) The results of the trials were that both the "Blue Fin" and the "Sir David Martin" met the Code of Safety for Dynamically Supported Craft developed by the International Maritime Organisation. 20 APRIL 1993 *180 Mr Jones asked the Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing representing the Minister for the Environment___ (a) Has the very rare Smoky Mouse been discovered in Nungatta State Forest? (b) Is it likely that other endangered species live within this same area? (c) Will the Government ensure that this area is not destroyed by logging? Answer___ (1) Yes.