Australia’s timber industry has until the end of the year to prove that arsenic treated playground equipment is safe – otherwise it will be banned.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority said it wants conclusive proof that continued use of CCA is safe on play equipment, household decking, steps and fencing.
But the timber industry said proof was impossible to provide and that the authority had reacted to media pressure.
Meanwhile school groups and child care centres say that if the ban was enforced, the government should pay to remove any material affected by such a ban.
Australia producs around 800,000m3 of CCA-treated pine a year, making it the world’s third highest per capita user after New Zealand and the US.
