Environmental health - Public Health

Introduction

Environmental Health has officers working in Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek, as well as remote communities.

The branch includes a small operational program and policy development team.

Officers ensure that businesses comply with the following legislation:

Role

The work of the Public Health Unit include:

Environmental Health comprises a number of discrete services including:

Contact

The Environmental Health can be contacted on the details below.

LocationAddressMailContact details
Darwin Second Floor, Casuarina Plaza
258 Trower Road
Casuarina NT 0810

PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0811

P: 08 8922 7377
F: 08 8922 7036
envirohealthte@nt.gov.au
Katherine Second Floor, O'Keefe House
Katherine Hospital
Katherine NT 0850
PMB 73
Katherine NT 0852
P: 08 8973 9061
P: 08 8973 9062
F: 08 8973 9063
envirohealthte@nt.gov.au
Barkly Tennant Creek Hospital
45 Schmidt Street
Tennant Creek NT 0860
PO Box 346
Tennant Creek NT 0861
P: 08 8962 4302
F: 08 8962 4420
envirohealthca@nt.gov.au
Central Australia Peter Sitzler Building
67 Stuart Highway
Alice Springs NT 0870
PO Box 721
Alice Springs NT 0871
P: 08 8955 6122
F: 08 8952 5927
envirohealthca@nt.gov.au

Radiation protection

The Radiation Protection work unit sits within the Public Health Directorate and aims to protect the health and safety of people in the Northern Territory and their environment from the harmful effects of radiation.

This protection is achieved through legislation that authorises the sale, acquisition, possession, use, storage, transport and disposal of radioactive materials and radiation apparatus.

Read about these authorities in the Radiation Protection Act and Regulations:

Radiation licence forms

Go to Radiation licence forms on the NT Government site for a list of all radiation forms. For more detailed information, read the below sections.

Licences

Licences are issued for the use of medical and industrial ionising radiation sources. In general, these sources and the place of use must be registered with the Radiation Protection work unit.

Non-ionising radiation sources can be registered only in specific areas listed in Schedule 2 of the National Directory for Radiation Protection on the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency website. Currently the only non-ionising radiation source in Schedule 2 is a tanning unit used for cosmetic purposes within a solarium. You can no longer register a tanning bed for commercial use, possession or sale in the NT.

Go to Radiation licences for health professionals on the NT Government website for information about:

  • chiropractors
  • dental practitioners
  • diagnostic radiographers
  • nuclear medicine technologists
  • radiation therapists
  • registered nurses
  • general practitioners
  • radiation safety training.

Accreditation and compliance

A certificate of accreditation authorises the installation, testing, repair, servicing and decommissioning of a radiation source. A radiation protection adviser is expected to apply for a certificate of accreditation to test a radiation source.

Go to Radiation compliance certificates and registrations on the NT Government website for information about:

  • accredited NT radiation companies
  • apply to be an accredited radiation company or individual
  • certificate of compliance
  • codes of practice
  • licence to possess a radiation source
  • radiation place
  • radiation source or apparatus.

Training for remote practitioners

The Royal Darwin Hospital runs a course training health workers at remote clinics to take X-ray images.

For more information or to express your interest in the course call the X-ray Department at Royal Darwin Hospital on (08) 8922 8512.

Contact

Radiation Protection
2nd Floor Casuarina Plaza
258 Trower Road
Casuarina NT 0810

Phone:  (08) 8922 7152
radiationprotection@nt.gov.au

Mail

PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0811


Aboriginal environmental health

The Northern Territory has the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

There are health disparities between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Territorians, especially in relation to infectious and chronic diseases, child health and life expectancy.

Poor environmental health conditions are a major contributing factor to the high rates of infectious disease, especially among young children.

Repeated infections during infancy and early childhood have been found to impact not only on children’s health in the short term but also contribute to chronic disease in adulthood.

Role

Environmental Health works with Aboriginal communities to ensure compliance with food and public and environmental health regulations.

The program works to assist in improving:

  • water supply management
  • waste water management
  • waste management
  • animal management
  • dust control
  • hygiene promotion
  • housing health hardware maintenance promotion
  • infectious disease control
  • and exposure to environmental elements know to impact on human health.

The program follows principles of community development and health promotion to enable Aboriginal Territorians to improve their own health.

Environmental health grants

The Indigenous environmental health grants program assists community based organisations to improve environmental health conditions for Aboriginal communities.

Contact the public health directorate about grant programs and applications by email publichealthdirectorate.doh@nt.gov.au.