NTER Container Accommodation
Situation Update (last updated 06/01/09)
- The Department has been working with Royal Wolf, the supplier of the container accommodation, to undertake remediation of the containers. All the containers that were being used by Government Business Managers (GBMs) in the NTER communities have now been remediated.
- Independent testing of the air quality in the containers, post remediation, has now been undertaken by CETEC, a firm of independent experts in property and built environment pollutants.
- CETEC’s tests have indicated that the remediation has been effective in most of the container accommodation with a small number of containers requiring further remediation.
- The Department is continuing to work with Royal Wolf to determine why the remediation has not been successful for these containers and to determine what can be done to ensure that these containers are safe for ongoing use.
- In the meantime, the installation of demountable accommodation has been completed in all but 8 of the NTER communities that currently have container accommodation. The Department anticipates that all demountables will be in place by the end of February.
- This means that most GBMs now have access to demountable accommodation as their permanent living quarters and the container accommodation will, from now on, only be used as offices or for temporary accommodation for visitors to the NTER communities.
- The Department has now implemented all of the 16 recommendations made by Mr Tony Blunn in his Report into the performance of the Department in responding to the container accommodation air quality issues.
Background
- In November 2007, some Australian Government staff identified a strong smell in some of the modified shipping container accommodation used to house Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) staff in remote Indigenous communities.
- FaHCSIA requested a copy of a report commissioned by the supplier of the containers, Royal Wolf Trading Australia Pty Ltd, about the odour. The report found high levels of formaldehyde were present in an accommodation container tested at the supplier's storage yards.
- On the same day FaHCSIA received the report from Royal Wolf, all Australian Government staff residing or visiting the container accommodation were evacuated to alternate accommodation.
- National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) has advised that the formaldehyde detected in the containers housing Australian Government staff is unlikely to cause long-term health effects. This advice was endorsed by the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer.
- The Commander of the Northern Territory Emergency Response Operations Centre, Major-General Dave Chalmers, wrote to all government and non-government organisations who had staff who stayed in the NTER container accommodation to advise them of the situation and the support available.
- FaHCSIA engaged CETEC to conduct further testing on the containers. Report by CETEC - June 2008
- The Secretary of FaHCSIA, Dr Jeff Harmer, appointed Tony Blunn AO (former Secretary of the Attorney General’s; Social Security; Arts, Sport, Environment and Territories; and Housing and Construction Departments) to conduct an independent external review of the circumstances leading to the problems in the accommodation containers. The purpose of his review was to provide recommendations to address any deficiencies in procedures, structures or communications and to ensure a rapid response to occupational health and safety issues in the future. The report was provided to the Department in June 2008. Report by AS Blunn AO - June 2008 - PDF [142kB]
- Minister Macklin released a report prepared by FaHCSIA officers detailing the Department’s response from 8 November 2007, when concerns were first raised by staff about an odour, to 10 April 2008, the date when a report from the container accommodation supplier, Royal Wolf, revealed elevated levels of formaldehyde in a container the company tested. NTER Container Accommodation Report
- Comcare placed a prohibition notice on all containers not considered safe following the CETEC testing of the air quality in all the containers in June 2008. On 14 August 2008, the Department received Comcare’s approval to occupy the 11% of containers where air quality in those containers was within acceptable levels. Government Business Managers (GBMs) in 5 of the 24 affected communities were then able to use these containers.
Assistance
The safety and wellbeing of staff is the highest priority for FaHCSIA. All staff were encouraged to undertake health checks as a precautionary measure. The costs of these health checks were met by FaHCSIA.
Staff have been supported to find alternative accommodation at the community level or at the closest centre to their community.
If you have visited the NTER container accommodation and have concerns about your health, you are encouraged to contact FaHCSIA’s Occupational Health and Safety team to discuss your situation. FaHCSIA will ensure you are kept informed about any future developments.
Further Information