The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) previously advised members of the public that electromagnetic emissions were considered to be outside the provisions of Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. Following a complaint raised by a member of the public to the Victorian Ombudsman, the department has reviewed its position and considers that the Public Health and Wellbeing Act has a very broad potential application and that health impacts of electromagnetic emissions could be within its scope where evidence arises of serious risks to health.
Stop Smart Meters Australia (SSMA) and members of the public have been raising this issue with the department for a number of years without success. Following yet another reply to SSMA dated 23 May 2016 denying legislative responsibility, Janobai Smith, SSMA Advocacy and Policy Advisor, took the step of asking the Victorian Ombudsman to provide clarification regarding the responsibilities and advice provided to the public by DHHS – advice that stated the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act DOES NOT apply to electromagnetic emissions and radio frequency aspects of smart meters. How wrong they were!
The end result is a complete about-face by DHHS. The department has confirmed to the Victorian Ombudsman that it has made amendments to the advice that it will now provide to the public.
The Ombudsman’s office acknowledges that the department initially provided information that was inaccurate and is satisfied that the department has since taken reasonable steps to correct the information about smart meters that it provides the public.
The Ombudsman’s office has also undertaken to raise with DHHS the issue of contacting members of the public who had received incorrect advice in order that its revised advice might be provided. The Ombudsman, however, is not able to compel DHHS to do this.
…SSMA wonders, in light of this new-found responsibility, when DHHS might now actually admit that there is evidence of serious risk to public health and start taking steps to address the needs of people with electro-hypersensitivity? And when also might SSMA’s request to implement a smart meter post-rollout health surveillance program as routinely occurs in other areas, such as for post-market pharmaceutical drug safety, be considered?
For past posts on this issue, see:
Victoria’s Department of Health continues to play pass-the-parcel with our health
When Health Issues are not the responsibility of a Health Department – How Bizarre!
Stop Smart Meters Australia 
class action anyone?
Congratulations to all connected with the powerful work of “Stop Smart Metres” site on this inspiring double-back flip with a twist by DHHS. May the reversal of those properties with damn sm begin. On a side note, the former federal Independant, Senator John Madigan, is teaming up with the “Australian Country Party” for the 2018 state election. Keep an eye out for him in the media so that he may have a chance to directly highlight the dangers and travesties of these horrible machines for fellow Victorians.
Excellent work SSMA. I received a letter from the Chief health Officer saying that radiation was not within the scope of the health and Wellbeing Act as per above. Does this mean that they can now be held liable for their false information?
I suggest everyone who has been told a similar story should rewrite to the DHHS and complain. I will now be doing that and will also be looking for an immediate investigation by them into the many hundreds of health complaints that they would have received by smart meter sufferers.
Well, I guess that is a start. Read a lot of the letters, some very cranky people out there, but as one said, the only thing that will help is people power. If enough people protest (by civil disobedience or silent protest, but it has to be public, as in a silent march or such) they will pay some attention. Otherwise the power companies can be as brutal as any dictatorship, which they are fast becoming, being mostly from other nations who do not care about our people, or theirs much either, I gather. Follow the legal possibilities to the letter and more, several good lists of what to do on these pages, and sue any company that … oh you know all that. How have you dealt with the break in at your place, is the sm still connected? Sorry not more correspondence, but still catching up after little op and still far behind. Take care, Pierre, M M M
Excellent comments martan, I really like what you state about people protest; I normally refer to that as PEOPLES’ POWER MOVEMENTS. You are spot on when you make the equation between power companies and dictatorship. I am really glad to hear that there are some people out there as intelligent and aware as you are on this issue, good on you, mate!
We also need to get the doctors to speak out. There is now enough evidence with the US NTP study to issue the public a warning about mobile phones. While we have a few heroic individuals from the medical community speaking out, most of the medical community could do a lot more and back these brave truth speakers up. The public will listen to doctors. Speak out doctors!
Excellent work, Janobai. This is just the tip of the iceberg in government and corporation lies, misinformation and cover-up. I hope the egg on DHHS’s face is uncomfortably sticky. It might make them and others think twice, in future, about being so deceitful and lazy about doing their job properly.
The geniuses at the Health Department. So they basically admit they have not done their duty to protect the public from the health effects of wireless radiation – this has to be the case because they did not even realise it was their duty. For years the whole Australian public has been exposed to high levels of microwave radiation without their consent and it has not even occurred to the Health Department to assess the health effects. These people are beyond incompetent if they can’t even figure out what the duties of their own department are.
DHHS should not only start taking steps to address the needs of people with electro-hypersensitivity but in so doing it makes all sense that they should also be taking steps to prevent otherwise healthy people from developing electro-hypersensitivity. Shame on them for all their past negligence.
Smart meters increasingly sensitise people to EMR, and as time goes by less and less EMR is needed to get a reaction. The only way to prevent people becoming EHS is to not soak them in EMR either from Smart Meters or phone towers. There is no safe level of microwave radiation, its all toxic. EVERYONE who spends 2min. next to a Smart Meter will have deformed blood cells.
Wow. This is a huge turnaround! A huge “thank you” to SSMA for all the hard work it does in this field on behalf of many members of our community who are not well enough (due to Electro-Hypersensitivity) to lobby on this issue. Words can’t say how greatly it is appreciated.
There are many other problems with power lines such as the use of implied easements for a power line to exist on your property. Even if there are serious health effects by having a power line on your property doesn’t mean you can get rid of an Energy Operator’s Power Line off your property even if there is no easement. The Government and Energy Operators do not want you to know this if your giving them permission to have a power line constructed on your property without an easement being registered against your land title. If it is not noted on your Land Title you cannot find out any information about it. So if it is proven that a power line is affecting your health it doesn’t mean you can order the power line removed off your property as simply they do not have to! the only way to avoid this is not to buy a property with any power line traversing it which makes my land valueless with a power line on it. Does the Government or Energy Operator care? You bet they don’t! Viva the solar energy offgrid revolution
IWe had a problem with a waterpump not operating as it should.When told that it may be a ‘spike’ in the supply.I phoned a subby to Powercor and they said it may be that there is no Smart meter at my home.Powercor finally got here and ‘tested the supply.All ok.
BE AWARE these ‘shadow co’s want ALL to be on Smartymetres and will say anything to get one ‘hooked up’