This story is still being written and covered up

November 3, 2025

For as long as I can remember, the story of lead levels at the Port Pirie smelters and the danger to children/residents in the area has been repeated over and over again with constant threats of closure and government handouts for cleaning up. They continued as recently as late last year and early this year.

Then it seems that lead smelting and rare earth mineral processing go hand in hand and off trots our prime minister to TRUMPtopia to join the “have-I-got-a-deal-for-you” queue.

The state premier was left behind to blow the TRUMPet. No mention of the health of Indigenous children or local children, the dangers of lead smelting at Port Pirie and no mention of the years of promised clean-up of lead or the adding to the existing lead levels.