Page 3318 - Week 11 - Thursday, 22 September 1994
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Mr De Domenico: You cannot remember.
MR LAMONT: Who cannot? Not only is it recognised as being in the very early stages of drawing any conclusions but, in fact, my advice is that there is substantial information which says that the allegations in relation to the testing of alum and its effect on Alzheimer's are grossly overestimated. That is the advice available to me at this stage.
It is appropriate to indicate that alum is not used in the general water supply in the ACT, with the exception of that water which is drawn from Googong Dam. The reason why alum is used at Googong Dam is the amount of sediment in that catchment area. We have not drawn water from Googong, as I recall - and I test it regularly - for over two years. In fact, it is two years, 18 days and a number of hours, if my memory serves me correctly. The proposition, however, is that the alum, as I understand, is released into the Googong water at a fairly distant place from the take-off for general water purposes in the ACT, and that has not occurred as far as water take-off is concerned for our drinking purposes for over two years. I will confirm the relationship and the time, because I am pretty confident that it is over two years, Mr Stevenson, but I would like to be specific about the time.
We are keeping an eye on the available data because of the suggestion - and it is no more than a suggestion - that it could have some effect in relation to the onset of Alzheimer's. In fact, it was in the Canberra Times of 19 September, but I think it was also in the Sydney Morning Herald. I think you need to also bear in mind that the National Health and Medical Research Council have most certainly not endorsed the types of findings that have been attributed by some. In fact, Dr Leon Flicker, a senior lecturer in geriatric medicine at the National Ageing Research Institute in Melbourne, said that there was still no firm view on the link between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease. Studies comparing the incidence of the disease with aluminium levels in drinking water had produced conflicting results, he said.
There is work being undertaken in order to try to verify a sustainable outcome as far as such trials are concerned, but I think the people of Canberra can rest assured that, firstly, in relation to the amount of alum that is used, it is only in the Googong water supply where there is very heavy sedimentation; and, secondly, of course, when there is any verifiable evidence that is available that makes even the merest suggestion that there could be some connection between these two issues, or in fact alum and any other issue, we will act expeditiously to overcome that problem.
MR STEVENSON: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Will the Minister get the report that was submitted as well as the research from the Royal North Shore Hospital, I think it was, in Sydney that showed a build-up of aluminium in rats during the tests?
MR LAMONT: Yes. I will also do a rat survey to see how many rats we have in the ACT who are drinking out of our water supply, so that we can verify the difference - - -
Mr Kaine: Would you like to take the question seriously, Minister? It is a serious question.
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