Secrecy over Mount Isa children's lead levels

Mt Isa children still at risk for lead

AT least 12 children in Mount Isa still have dangerously high lead levels but the State Government is refusing to give details of the cases.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson was yesterday forced into a partial backdown by releasing test data - only a day after claiming the information could not be made public for legal reasons.

The State Government was still refusing to release case progress reports amid claims it was not being open and accountable with residents and was dragging its heels on the issue.

Several families have already begun legal action against the Government and Swiss mining giant Xstrata, which owns the town's mine, over allegations of negligence which resulted in lead poisoning among children.

A Queensland Health report in May found 45 children - about 11 per cent of those tested - had elevated blood lead levels.

It has also emerged five of another 36 children tested since June also had dangerously high levels.

New figures released in State Parliament yesterday by Mr Robertson showed only 22 of the original 45 children underwent re-testing in recent months.

Twelve still had levels higher than 10 micrograms/decilitre - the point where intellectual and behavioural problems could occur - while 10 had levels that were now below 10 micrograms.

Slater & Gordon lawyer Damian Scattini, who is acting on behalf of families engaged in a class action, yesterday said the results showed education such as glossy pamphlets was failing.

"The Minister should be releasing all the reports (even with names censored)," Mr Scattini said. "They promised they would be open and accountable. How many (children poisoned) is too many for this Government?"

Mr Robertson acknowledged the huge public interest but said the current legal action could not be compromised.

"Each of the families of the children with elevated lead levels has been given advice on methods to reduce their child's exposure to lead," Mr Robertson said. "Detailed environmental audits have been conducted on the households that have children with elevated lead levels."

Hospital workers to walk off the job

Thousands of hospital workers across Queensland will walk off the job for at least two hours today as part of an ongoing wages dispute with the State Government.

Admin and clinical staff from at least ten major facilities including the Royal Brisbane and Womens' Hospitals and Princess Alexandra and Prince Charles will take part in the stoppage.

Queensland Public Sector Union spokesman Alex Scott says they have been forced into taking the drastic step.

"We are a minute from midnight in terms of a significant crisis because the Government is refusing to listen," he said.

Mr Scott says emergency cases will still be seen and some staff will remain at work.

The Premier Anna Bligh has warned public servants will be taken to the Industrial Commission if the strike is too disruptive.

"I don't expect we'll see any significant disruptions to services," Ms Bligh said.

The stoppage is due to begin at 11:30am AEST with workers to attend rallies around the state.

Qld Govt accused of Mt Isa lead 'cover-up'

The report followed fears about contamination from Xstrata operations.

The Queensland Government has been accused of trying to play down health concerns involving children at Mount Isa.

A new report has confirmed that 11 per cent of the 400 children who were tested in the north-west Queensland mining town have high levels of lead in their blood.

But Queensland Health concedes the exact source of the lead has not been determined.

The State Opposition's health spokesman John Paul Langbroek says the Government held onto the report for too long and orchestrated today's release.

"There are concerns that this could be a cover-up," he said.

"This is something that we've expressed in the Parliament some time ago, that an environmental protection officer quit his job because he tried to express his concerns about these testing results and nothing came of it.

"That was a few years ago and clearly the Government, by saying 'we're just going to test in 2010', is saying we just hope this goes away until 2010.

"They haven't answered what they're going to do for now apart from telling people they shouldn't be playing the the dust."

Mr Langbroek says further investigation and testing is needed.

"I definitely think it should be widened," he said.

"I think that testing is for children between age one to four, and clearly there are about 5,500 children up to 14 and if the results were extrapolated you could have up to 600 children up to the age of 14 who may also have increased lead levels.

Public meeting stacked in favour of Xstrata: lawyer

A lawyer representing a six-year-old girl allegedly exposed to lead in Mount Isa says last nights public meeting was stacked in favour of the mining company.

Damian Scattini's firm, Slater and Gordon, has commenced legal action against mining giant Xstrata, the Queensland Government and the Mount Isa City Council, after his client suffered injuries to her brain and nervous system.

Mr Scattini says some of the residents who spoke at the meeting do not realise the extent of contamination levels in the region.

"Unfortunately as expected it was a PR exercise and really for once they are being accurate," he said.

"They are saying 'living with lead alliance' because that's their solution ... the population should just live with it, just suck it up, that's just a recipe for another generation of children being poisoned, left with brain damage."

MP Betty Kiernan has defended the State Government's handling of the issue, rejecting claims that the Government is working too closely with the mining company.

"We identified that we wanted to work together, more importantly, we do work together," she said.

"That means we have to have an open, honest exchange of information.

"The very mining that is part of our community, is our community, our community works over there at that mine.

"We're not standing back from the fact that we have formed an alliance."