National approach needed to CCA timber report
16 February 2005
The Australian Local Government Association has today welcomed the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority report on the use of copper chrome arsenate (CCA) timber treatments, but expressed concern that hundreds of individual agencies are to be left with a decision as to whether or not to remove structures built with CCA treated timber.
ALGA is seeking a full briefing from the Authority on the report and its implications and will follow this with discussions with the Australian Government. The Authority - the Australian Government's national agricultural chemical regulator - will phase out uses of CCA timber treatments that it cannot be confident are safe.
The report found that the Authority could not be satisfied that there wasn't a health risk for people, particularly children who had frequent and close exposure to treated timber products such as decks, garden furniture and playground structures.
The Authority has no regulatory powers over existing structures and has made no recommendations in regard to these. However, it says it will be consulting with agencies that have responsibility for existing structures and will make all scientific information available from the review to them to assist them in making their own risk management decisions.
The report also notes that no overseas regulator has required the demolition of CCA treated structures.
ALGA President, Cr Paul Bell, said, "The Authority is effectively saying that any decision to remove or replace these structures will be one for individual agencies or councils.
"There needs to be appropriate national discussion about this report and any need to remove CCA treated timber structures and if so, how this should be carried out and how any systematic removal program should be funded.
"A national approach is needed. It strikes me as unreasonable that hundreds of agencies and authorities are to be left to go through the highly complex task of assessing the scientific research that a national regulator hands on to them," Cr Bell said.
