In 2005-06, NICNAS assisted a voluntary initiative of the Australian Paint Manufacturers’ Federation Inc (APMF) to eliminate the remaining use of lead salts in the surface coatings and inks industry. With the assistance of the Federation, NICNAS undertook a survey of ink manufacturers, surface coatings manufacturers and suppliers of lead compounds to the surface coatings and inks industries to identify any lead salts still in use. As a result, fifteen lead salts were declared PECs .

It is expected that the publication of these PECs in 2006-07 will facilitate industry’s voluntary withdrawal of lead from industrial surface coating use.