Mayor Tom Kennedy has welcomed the NSW Government's $37.3 million package to help combat lead in Broken Hill, but says he will continue to lobby for more practical control measures in the city.
$24.2 million of the package announced by the Government earlier this month will be used to remediate the homes of people in high-risk zones and the homes of families whose children have recorded high blood lead levels, with the remaining $10.6 million to be used for improved lead monitoring and community education.
Mayor Kennedy said he was pleased that the city's plight had received attention from higher levels of government, and hoped that additional funding would become available to tackle the lead issue from multiple angles.
"It's great to have that financial support from the Government for remediation, but the reality is that remediation was only one recommendation in the Chief Scientist's Report regarding lead in the city," he said.
"It would be ideal if there was extra money available for simple everyday solutions like extra street sweeping and revegetation, which were also listed as recommendations in the Report.
"35% of kids between 1 to 5 years in Broken Hill have blood lead levels above the National Health and Medical Research Council guideline of 5 micrograms per decilitre (mcg/dl), as opposed to 1% across the rest of the State, so it's a serious problem that needs as much attention and assistance as possible."
Mayor Kennedy said street sweeping and increased vegetation had produced positive results in other industrial centres.
"In 2023 Port Pirie received funding from the South Australian Government and they significantly stepped up their street sweeping and revegetation to good effect," he said.
"By 2025 the proportion of their kids tested with blood-lead levels equal to or above 10 mcg/dl decreased by 9.5 per cent to 20.3, their best result in a decade.
"I think we can learn from their success. The money for remediation of high risk homes is absolutely welcome, but I believe some additional funding for simple practical solutions like street sweeping and revegetation can also have a massive benefit for all kids at a pretty reasonable cost."
Full details on the Government's lead package can be found here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/37-million-to-tackle-lead-pollution-broken-hill
