The South Australian Government is promising more transparency and community engagement in an overhaul of lead remediation efforts in Port Pirie.
As part of the shake-up, the government has appointed a veteran of the state's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to run Port Pirie's Targeted Lead Abatement Program (TLAP).
Peter Dolan, the EPA's second-in-command, will take up the position of TLAP executive director next month.
"It is true that the drop in lead levels that we would like hasn't occurred in the last few years, but that's not through people not trying or working hard at that," Mr Dolan said.
Port Pirie has long struggled to address high levels of lead contamination linked to its lead smelter.
TLAP oversees initiatives to help bring down levels of lead in the blood of local children, including remediating residential properties, suppressing dust, wiping down public playgrounds and running awareness campaigns.
It is jointly funded by the operator of the smelter, Nyrstar, and the state government.
Program to be 'more transparent'
The minister responsible for TLAP, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, said Mr Dolan's appointment would come with a range of other changes to TLAP's operation.
"We're going to change the structure of TLAP, we're going to make it more transparent, more workable, we're bringing in a genuine expert to lead it (and) we've had an independent report commissioned which will be released in the not too distant future," he said.
Mr Dolan, who is moving to Port Pirie for the position, said there would be more community engagement.
Changes to address poor results
Earlier this year, it emerged that the average blood lead level for two-year-old children in Port Pirie had reached a 10-year high.
Mr van Holst Pellekaan said Mr Dolan's appointment would help to improve future results.
"The challenges that we have here in Port Pirie are much much better than they otherwise would have been without the people that have worked so hard," Mr van Holst Pellekaan said.
Mayor has a seat at the table
The Port Pirie Regional Council would have direct input to TLAP, Mr van Holst Pellekaan announced.
Mayor Leon Stephens said he was unhappy with the lack of progress made on bringing down blood lead levels.
Cr Stephens was one of three people on Mr Dolan's selection panel, which also included a representative from the Department for Energy and Mining and a senior Nyrstar staffer.
More details about the shake-up will be made public once Mr Dolan begins work in July.
