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NTN Committee | Community Information System
The National Toxics Network (NTN) is a community based network working for pollution reduction, protection of environmental health and environmental justice for all. NTN was first formed in 1993 and since then has grown as a national network to support community and environmental organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
NTN has interests in all aspects of toxic chemical pollution including regulatory and assessment issues. Many groups and campaigners from across Australia as well as representatives from NZ and South Pacific, have registered as network participants. (To Join Us, visit Registration)
NTN provides non-government organisations (NGOs) with a national and international voice on chemical and toxics issues. As the Australian focal point for the International POPs Elimination Network, NTN hosts the international IPEN working group on community monitoring and body burden and works towards the full implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 2001 and other relevant chemical conventions.
Internationally, NTN has represented Australian and global NGOs at the OECD Chemical Joint Meetings and is actively involved in the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) providing an Australian focal point for their INFOCAP information and capacity building program. (See Reports and Events)
NTN's capacity building arm, Oztoxics has completed a number of activities including Body Burden Handbook and the Conventions Handbook. (See Handbooks for Capacity Building)
Through its focus on community capacity building initiatives, NTN supports communities involved in hazardous waste management and environmental health issues.(See Community Information)
NTN committee members are involved in a range of national advisory bodies including the Hazardous Waste Reference Group, the Dioxin Consultative Group, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) and Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority committees as well as participating in their related technical advisory panels. (See Committees)
The NTN Committee
Jo Immig (Coordinator/ President), Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith Anne (Senior Advisor/ Secretary), Jane Bremmer (WA Alliance for a Cleaner Environment/Contaminated Sites Alliance) Dorothy Bowes (Qld Allergy, Sensitivity, Environmental Health Association (ASEHA, Dr Bro Sheffield-Brotherton (VIC, National Climate Campaigner) John Craven (NSW Contaminated Sites Campaigner), Ben Cole (Ecotoxicologist) Don Want (NSW Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance) Julia Pitts (public officer/ Legal policy)
Community Information
NTN collects, collates and distributes information for use by the community, individuals and legislators.
Many issues have been highlighted by community and environmental groups, such as:
- contaminated residential land,
- occupational exposure, eg hairdressers, mechanics, teachers, nurses, agricultural workers, firemen,
- the role of chemicals in breast cancer,
- chemical residues in wildlife and children,
- HCB stockpile in the Sydney suburb of Botany
- aerial spraying of pesticides in TAS, NSW while banned or restricted in other developed countries, many hundred chemically affected individuals
- thousands of contaminated sites across Australia,
- illegal toxic dumping
- industrial air pollution and fall out
Computerised information systems are our special interest and area of expertise. We aim to increase community awareness and access to information about toxics worldwide through the use of community information systems and publicly accessible GIS (geographic information systems). See some examples of NTN Community Information Systems on the Community Information page. |
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