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On 25 and 26 August 2005 a fire occurred at the Binary Industries pesticide manufacturing and storage plant located in the Narangba Industrial Estate (NIE). The fire burned for six hours resulting in contamination of the surrounding environment. At the time of the fire, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Scientific Unit attended the site to provide advice on management of the chemical incident.
The NIE contains a wide variety of industries including but not limited to, chemical manufacturers, tanneries, waste disposal facilities, crude oil storage, concrete batching plants, timber chemical treatment plants and an irradiation plant.
The surrounding community raised concerns over the potential health impacts that may be experienced due to the operations of the estate. In response to these concerns, Queensland Health established the Narangba Health Action Plan. The plan outlined the steps to be taken to address community concerns, particularly the health issues associated with the Binary Industries fire and the ongoing operation of the NIE. A component of the plan involved the delivery of a Health Impact Assessment (HIA).
The preparation of the HIA involved working closely with the community, including residents and industry, through the establishment of a Community Reference Group (CRG). The CRG determined, commissioned and monitored all studies with the assistance of an independent technical adviser, an independent facilitator and a health advisory panel.
This project was conducted by Queensland Health, working in consultation with other Queensland Government agencies, the CRG and industry.
The project methodology was reviewed by the health advisory panel with all work conducted by external consultancies to ensure independency of the work.
The HIA commenced in late 2006 with the establishment of the CRG. A number of studies were conducted to inform the HIA with the last study completed in August 2010.
Queensland Health announced the completion of the Narangba Industrial Estate Health Impact Assessment (HIA) on Thursday 5 May 2011.
For further information on the stages of the HIA go to Project Updates.
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