Darwin Harbour Exclusion Zone Health Concerns

On the 10th of July 2006 the Darwin Harbour Master established an exclusion zone at 12 degrees 28.083 South and 130 degrees 49.766 minutes East. It so happens that the exclusion zone is over the top of the Darwin Poo Shooter and is one kilometre in diameter.

"The question begs, 'If the poo shooter is safe why has the Harbour Master established an exclusion zone around it?” Shadow Environment Minister Fay Miller asked today.

"The Government has been at pains to tell us that the poo shooter doesn't detrimentally affect the Darwin Harbour. Now there appears to be a reason for keeping people away from it. The only reason that people will be kept away from something like this is to protect them. If that is the case protect them from what?

"Has the Darwin Port Authority become aware of information that demonstrates that there is a risk to people in the area? If they have what is the risk that justifies an exclusion zone 1 km in diameter.

"Are they responding to the results of testing? If so what tests have been conducted and what were the results?

"The establishment of this exclusion zone means that all of the sudden the Government has decided that there is a risk.

"The ban includes fishing, swimming and scuba diving, in other words the ban will now prevent any person from taking samples in the area and so the Government will force people to have to believe their 'trust us' approach to testing.

"I am increasingly suspicious of what the Government is doing here. Rather than fix the problem they deny that there is any issue and they ban anybody from going to have a look.

"This Government cannot be trusted anymore. The not so independent EPA still hasn't announced any from of inquiry, government continues to deny there is a problem and nobody else can no go and check.

"It is time the Government came clean on a very dirty poo shooter.”

2006-07-12