NSW EPA criticized for not informing parents of lead contamination at Broken Hill childcare centres

The New South Wales Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is facing criticism for not directly informing parents after finding high lead contamination at 10 out of 13 childcare facilities in Broken Hill.

In response to questioning in parliament last month, the EPA shared results of soil testing conducted at childcare centres across the city on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2025.

The agency said it contacted the centres that recorded lead levels above the national guideline of 300 milligrams per kilogram and offered them remediation.

Of the centres with readings above the threshold, only four chose to have remediation work carried out.

The EPA said it was the responsibility of the childcare centres to inform parents.

"The NSW EPA provided site owners of all centres with results and recommended management or remediation actions where required," an EPA spokesperson said.

"For privacy reasons, it is standard procedure for education operators to have direct communication with parents and families."

Calls for investigation

Greens MP and mining spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has criticised the EPA's stance and called for an investigation.

"How can our Environment Protection Authority receive information that childcare centres have 10 times the level of lead in the soil that is safe and not do a single thing but tell the [childcare] operator?" she said.

"This warrants a full investigation of how the EPA has been conducting testing in Broken Hill and what information they have and how they've acted on it.

"If we can't trust the agency that is there to monitor and regulate contamination, then who can we trust on this?"

'Read about it in the paper'

According to NSW Health and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, exposure to lead can cause learning disabilities, behavioural problems, slow or abnormal growth, poor coordination and hearing problems.

Children under five are particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing.

Young children are also more likely to put their hands or objects in their mouths, and their bodies absorb more lead than adults.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said NSW Health should also have been informed.

"We would have wanted to know about this; I would have been extremely concerned about the issue," Dr Chant said.

However, the EPA said it had kept NSW Health in the loop.

"The NSW EPA shared updates with the Broken Hill Interagency Working Group, which includes NSW Health," the EPA spokesperson said.

Public health issue

Broken Hill Mayor Tom Kennedy said he expected almost all houses in town would be over the 300mg guideline.

"You don't want to have people scared," he said.

"Those childcare facilities have often had lead well above … These facilities are checked all the time, and when they are found to be high, they are remediated.

"Let's remember those children that go to those childcare facilities then go home to yards that probably have lead levels well beyond that at the childcare facilities themselves."

Ms Faehrmann said Broken Hill was facing a public health crisis and argued the government would respond differently if the same lead levels were found elsewhere.

"I just cannot imagine another situation where they wouldn't do anything about it," she said.