Document Index 1999-2000 Ministerial Statements Investing in our Natural and Cultural Heritage Chapter 7

ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

• National Environmental Health Strategy
• Electromagnetic Radiation Monitoring

National Environmental Health Strategy

The Department of Health and Aged Care provides leadership in environmental health policies which aim to reduce community exposure to environmental hazards from all media and settings, with particular emphasis on sensitive and disadvantaged populations.

Activities undertaken with respect to environmental health during 1998-99 include the following.

• Development and implementation of the National Environmental Health Strategy.
  
  
• Development of guidelines for Environmental Health Impact Assessment.
  
  
• A national workshop on Indigenous Environmental Health in May 1999.
  
  
• A national workshop on improving water quality (including, rolling revision of the drinking water guidelines, examination of health issues in potable reuse and onsite testing from rural and remote water sources).
  
  
• A workforce development workshop, `Environmental Health Practitioners: Future Challenges, Future Needs' conducted in April 1999.
  
  
• Guidelines for better integrating sustainable development into environmental health policies and practices.
  

Contact: Department of Health and Aged Care -- 02 6289 5231

Electromagnetic Radiation Monitoring

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) conducts an environmental surveillance programme of electromagnetic radiations (EMR) in Australian cities. The purpose of this monitoring is to determine the levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from all sources of populated areas and to assess the impact of increasing numbers of mobile phone base stations on the EMR exposure of the population.

Contact: Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency -- 03 9433 2284