About Us

The Targeted Lead Abatement Program (TLAP) is a joint initiative between Nyrstar and the South Australian Government, which aims to reduce the blood lead levels of children living in Port Pirie.

We were originally established to assess current and potential community lead exposure reduction strategies and to pursue those actions likely to have the greatest impact for the benefit of the community.

We know that there is no ‘safe’ level of lead exposure, and exposure should be reduced or prevented to keep blood lead levels as low as possible. This is why it is TLAP’s priority to lower the blood lead levels of the children in our community, the members of our community who are the most susceptible to the negative health effects of lead

Homes and Houses program

TLAP is responsible for the delivery of Port Pirie’s Homes and Houses program – a free service that works with you to reduce lead exposure in your home, particularly for children.

This program focuses on reducing or eliminating sources of lead exposure that are commonly found in and around the home.

First, TLAP will assist you in carrying out a free property assessment to help you to identify lead sources and exposure pathways in your home, and make recommendations to assist you in developing exposure reduction strategies to keep your family safe.

Secondly, works may include replacing bare soil, mulching garden beds, stormwater improvements, sealing gaps in windows and doors, replacing carpets, adding hard surfaces and verandas, and disposing of lead-containing items.

Whilst the works to be carried out depend on your particular situation, the most important thing is to organise your free assessment to help ensure our homes are safer environments for everybody.

In-home soil testing

If you are pregnant or thinking about having a baby, you are eligible for TLAP’s free in-home soil testing program, to ensure your home is healthy and dust-free prior to the arrival of your precious new family member. We’ll show you the results, and make recommendations to help you remove lead sources from your home.

Get in touch with us today to register for your free soil test.

Greening programs

We also run a number of programs that seek to reduce lead from the environment through vegetation or what we call greening initiatives.

These activities often use the establishment of new plants to extract lead and other heavy metals from contaminated soils, and at the same time improve the health, wellbeing, and perceptions of our town.

Some of these projects involve tidying up sites, removing dead trees, spreading mulch and planting new trees and shrubs to manage and control dust.

Over the years we have worked to green a number of important corridors and sites across Port Pirie and will continue to do that in the years to come.

Business lead exposure assessment

TLAP can help your business to undertake a detailed lead exposure assessment, and identify mitigation strategies you can introduce to help reduce the amount of lead that you, your employees, and your customers are being exposed to.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you as a business.

Our other services include:

• Disposing of lead containing items: If you have lead containing items or sources of lead in or around your home, TLAP can help you to dispose of them safely so that they no longer pose a risk to you and your family’s health. Old furniture, paint, silverware, and crockery are just a few common sources of lead that may be found in the home.
• Dust suppression: Lead dust is one of the main routes of transmission through which people can be exposed to lead. Damping down the dust means that it is less likely to blow and spread, which in turn makes it less likely that it will be breathed in by members of the community.
• Cleaning public facilities and other areas exposed to lead: Lead is commonly spread through the air, and lead containing dust can often settle on buildings and outdoor amenities. Regularly cleaning these facilities can help to reduce the presence of lead containing dust.