TPAA Submission to APVMA Review

23 June 2003


The Manager, Pesticides Review
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
P O Box E240
Kingston ACT 2604
AUSTRALIA


Dear Sir 

Re. TPAA submission to ARSENIC TIMBER TREATMENTS (CCA AND ARSENIC TRIOXIDE) REVIEW

The Timber Preservers Association of Australia (TPAA) is the peak Association representing the treatment plant operators producing treated timber in Australia; we work in close association with our sister organisation in New Zealand, the NZ Timber Preservation Council (NZTPC), who will be making a similar submission to your review. 

Between the TPAA and NZTPC our members produce almost all of the CCA-treated timber consumed in Australasia. Thus, we are uniquely placed to provide your review with factual information about the production and use of CCA-treated timber. 

Accordingly, we have carried out a survey of our members with the intention of obtaining factual information about the treatment plant operations and any adverse health effects experienced both at the plant during production and by customers using the treated timber when it enters the marketplace. We enclose for your consideration in reviewing CCA a copy of the Questionnaire and a copy of the results.

You will see from these enclosures that the TPAA members responding to the survey produce annually about 400,000 m3 of CCA-treated timber. We can justifiably conclude from the responses that their operations are safe and that the CCA-treated product has not caused any adverse health effects either in production or when used properly. However, we can also conclude that our members do not do enough to advise the users of CCA-treated timber about safe handling and, in three cases, the treatment plants do not operate to best practices as set down in national standards and./or codes of practice. We will take actions to remedy both these findings of our survey.

The TPAA believes the results of our survey, the results of NZTPC survey (which you will receive directly from the NZTPC), and the outcome of the CCA review by the Environment Risk Management Authority of NZ all indicate that CCA is an effective, safe preservative for the treatment of timber, particularly sustainably managed plantation softwoods which supply the bulk of our building and agricultural timbers used today. 

If we can be of any further assistance in your review please feel free to contact us. Also please visit our web site at www.tpaa.com.au, where a range of information and facts can be found about CCA preservative

Yours sincerely,



Doug Howick
National Secretary


Enclosures: TPAA National Treater Survey