Mount Isa Mines, the Mount Isa City Council Mayor and Member for Traeger are critical of a report which names Mount Isa as the most polluted postcode in Australia.
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Data was compiled by the Australian Conservation Foundation into a report titled ‘The Dirty Truth’.
It examined emissions data from the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) and weekly household income data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The report states that ‘mining facilities are highly polluting – the highest polluting facility in the NPI is Mount Isa Mines, with almost double the air emissions of the next highest facility.’
Recommendations of the report included an implementation of binding national standards air pollution standards, after outlining ‘3000 Australians die prematurely from urban air pollution every year’.
A spokesperson from Mount Isa Mines said the company operates under a modern, Queensland Government-managed regulatory regime and have an industry-leading air quality management framework in place.
“This includes Australia’s most extensive air quality monitoring network, and a dedicated air quality control centre, which has been in operation for more than 40 years,” she said.
The company firmly believes Mount Isa is a safe place for people, their families and the community.
“We live and work in this city," the spokesperson said.
“We continue to work openly and collaboratively with stakeholders to inform and minimise the impact of our operation on the community.”
Mount Isa City Council Mayor Joyce McCulloch is sceptical of the report and questioned how the data was collected.
“Any type of data can be manipulated,” she said.
Cr McCulloch also pointed out the proximity of the industry to the town’s centre was unusual.
However she has not been made aware of any concerning reports of prominent respiratory health conditions.
Cr McCulloch is confident with the current standards set by the mining companies to ensure the community is safe and will continue to be safe.
“It is my job to be concerned if there is a concern because I am the mother of two children,” she said.
Member for Traeger Robbie Katter was also critical of the report.
“It makes me really angry that these people can throw out loose claims, which can have serious consequences for people who live here,” he said.
“It paints a dreadfully unfair picture of what’s a terrific place to live.”
Mr Katter said the authors of the report should be made accountable for their misleading claims and the damage that they do.
He called on them to visit Mount Isa and investigate properly by visiting mines and viewing the environmental initiatives which are in place.
