NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) is:

• Australia's Government-endorsed provider of accreditation for laboratories and similar testing facilities;
• a peak authority in Australia for the accreditation of inspection bodies;
• Australia's compliance monitoring authority for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and represents Australia on the OECD GLP Working Group;
• the national body for accreditation of producers of certified reference materials;
• a leading international supplier of specialised training, information and support services for laboratories;
• the largest association of accredited laboratories in the world;
• the world's oldest comprehensive laboratory accreditation provider;
• supported by thousands of volunteer technical experts who assist with NATA's various technical committees and the evaluation of laboratories;
• independently evaluated on a regular basis by its international counterparts to ensure that its operations remain in-line with international practices;
• a private, not-for-profit company, owned and governed by its members and representatives from industry, government and professional bodies;
  

Laboratories contracted to conduct water quality analysis can be endorsed by NATA in two broad ways;

They can have overall laboratory accreditation for the design and operation of the facility and they can be accredited for particular analytical methods and analytes.

Benefits of NATA accreditation:

• provides an internationally recognised means of evaluating the competence of organisations to perform specific tests, calibrations, measurements and inspections;
• allows these facilities to determine whether they are performing their work correctly and to appropriate standards;
• helps testing and inspection facilities maintain their competence through regular surveillance visits;
• provides formal recognition of competent testing and inspection services and thus enhances their marketing;
• assists with meeting the requirements of contractors who specify independently verified facilities;
• assists manufacturing organisations to ensure the quality of in-house testing of their products;
• enables customers to identify and select reliable testing, calibration, measurement and inspection services.

NATA Home page
http://www.nata.asn.au/

List Accredited Laboratories

Biological Testing of Aquatic Environments
http://www.nata.asn.au/fs_directory.htm

Chemical testing general
http://www.nata.asn.au/fs_directory.htm

Chemical Testing of Biota
http://www.nata.asn.au/fs_directory.htm

Chemical testing of waters
http://www.nata.asn.au/fs_directory.htm

Chemical testing of trade waste
http://www.nata.asn.au/fs_directory.htm

Analytical costs (general)
See Queensland Government Analytical Services
http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/products/cat_services.php?category=510&description=Analytical+Services

Person contact

NATA
Biological Testing
Manager: Tanya Orlova
Ph: 61 2 9736 8222
Fax: 61 2 9743 5311

Chemical Testing
Manager: John Widdowson
Phone: 61 3 9329 1633
Fax: 61 3 9326 5148

Organisation contact

NATA
http://www.nata.asn.au/index.htm
Sydney (Head Office)
7 Leeds Street, Rhodes NSW 2138
Ph: 61 2 9736 8222
Fax: 61 2 9743 5311