Dr LIM - 1998-04-28
During last Tuesday's adjournment debate, the Leader of the Opposition made the point that the mining industry was integral to the economic wellbeing of Tennant Creek, and wished the Normandy mining company well in its efforts to extend its operational market in the town. I was very much a part of that industry in Tennant Creek, looking after the occupational health program for the mines operated by Peko which were then bought out by Normandy. What prospects are there for increased exploration and mining activity in the Tennant Creek district?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is the opposition spokesperson on resource development. During the sittings last week, she made much of her support for the mining industry in Tennant Creek, which is her home town and in her electorate.
Mr Coulter: Sometimes.
Mr POOLE: Sometimes. Let me tell members what she is really doing - absolutely nothing!
As we all know, Tennant Creek is what is referred to as the central mineral field within that area of the Territory. Currently, some 72 applications for exploration licences are outstanding which have been held up by native title. If these licences were granted, they would attract first-year exploration commitments of more than $2m. That would translate to about $20m over the life of the licences. Imagine what $20m would do for the economy of Tennant Creek! Mining activity in Tennant Creek is at a standstill because of native title. As if this situation were not bad enough, a further 86 exploration licences in the region are being held up by claims under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. These applications involve more than
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$2.5m in the first year and exploration commitments of more than $25m over the life of the mines. That is a total of $40m or $50m, a good part of which would be injected directly into the economy of Tennant Creek. There is more.
Mrs Hickey: Move over, Eric, and we will show ...
Mr POOLE: If you want to help, why don't you fix some of these problems?
Over 170 mining tenement applications are being held up on native title-affected land in the Tennant Creek region and a further 55 on land affected by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Not only does the Leader of the Opposition not know the price of petrol in Tennant Creek, but she obviously does not know what is happening in her own home town.
If the Leader of the Opposition was worried about what was happening in Tennant Creek and the state of the economy with regard to the mining industry, she would be knocking down the door of her federal colleagues in the Senate and demanding that they fully support the federal government in its efforts to process the joint native title plan - the 10-point plan - through the Senate. After all, it was her mates who gave us the Native Title Act and threw the whole of Australia into uncertainty. Now they are trying to keep us in that situation. And where is Territory Labor and its leader? Nowhere to be seen.
In the Northern Territory, we now have a total of more than 600 mining and exploration tenures outstanding on land affected by native title, and a greater number than that held up by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Members on the government side of the Legislative Assembly are greatly concerned about the mining industry, which is the lifeblood of Tennant Creek, and the government has fully supported the 10-point Wik plan. Also, the government has made a comprehensive submission to John Reeves QC in his review of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. This submission contains measures aimed at streamlining the process for development approvals under the act.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr POOLE: I pick up the honourable member's interjection. Here we have a ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr POOLE: Here is a prime example of a local member who, with the background he has, could be in a great position to assist some of these applications to get up and running, but he sits there and says absolutely nothing. He contributes nothing whatsoever to any debate on this matter.
We are interested in streamlining the processes for development approvals under the act, and we have made that submission to John Reeves. Territory Labor's contribution to the Reeves review is 5 pages of gobbledegook. It contains no reference to the mining industry which has been held to ransom by this act, but I guess that is better than Territory Labor's contribution to the Wik debate, which has been non-existent. The Leader of the Opposition and Territory Labor do not care about Territorians or economic growth. If they did, they would do something to show that they cared.
Last week, the Leader of the Opposition admitted that Territory Labor was bound to support the ALP position on Jabiluka, and apparently that goes for everything else as well. Is that what Territorians have to look forward to if ever Territory Labor were to win government in the Territory? The Leader of the Opposition is failing in her role. She is failing as opposition spokesperson for resource development and, most importantly, she is failing to stand up for people in her own home town.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is the opposition spokesperson on resource development. During the sittings last week, she made much of her support for the mining industry in Tennant Creek, which is her home town and in her electorate.
Mr Coulter: Sometimes.
Mr POOLE: Sometimes. Let me tell members what she is really doing - absolutely nothing!
As we all know, Tennant Creek is what is referred to as the central mineral field within that area of the Territory. Currently, some 72 applications for exploration licences are outstanding which have been held up by native title. If these licences were granted, they would attract first-year exploration commitments of more than $2m. That would translate to about $20m over the life of the licences. Imagine what $20m would do for the economy of Tennant Creek! Mining activity in Tennant Creek is at a standstill because of native title. As if this situation were not bad enough, a further 86 exploration licences in the region are being held up by claims under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. These applications involve more than
Page 211
$2.5m in the first year and exploration commitments of more than $25m over the life of the mines. That is a total of $40m or $50m, a good part of which would be injected directly into the economy of Tennant Creek. There is more.
Mrs Hickey: Move over, Eric, and we will show ...
Mr POOLE: If you want to help, why don't you fix some of these problems?
Over 170 mining tenement applications are being held up on native title-affected land in the Tennant Creek region and a further 55 on land affected by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Not only does the Leader of the Opposition not know the price of petrol in Tennant Creek, but she obviously does not know what is happening in her own home town.
If the Leader of the Opposition was worried about what was happening in Tennant Creek and the state of the economy with regard to the mining industry, she would be knocking down the door of her federal colleagues in the Senate and demanding that they fully support the federal government in its efforts to process the joint native title plan - the 10-point plan - through the Senate. After all, it was her mates who gave us the Native Title Act and threw the whole of Australia into uncertainty. Now they are trying to keep us in that situation. And where is Territory Labor and its leader? Nowhere to be seen.
In the Northern Territory, we now have a total of more than 600 mining and exploration tenures outstanding on land affected by native title, and a greater number than that held up by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Members on the government side of the Legislative Assembly are greatly concerned about the mining industry, which is the lifeblood of Tennant Creek, and the government has fully supported the 10-point Wik plan. Also, the government has made a comprehensive submission to John Reeves QC in his review of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. This submission contains measures aimed at streamlining the process for development approvals under the act.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr POOLE: I pick up the honourable member's interjection. Here we have a ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr POOLE: Here is a prime example of a local member who, with the background he has, could be in a great position to assist some of these applications to get up and running, but he sits there and says absolutely nothing. He contributes nothing whatsoever to any debate on this matter.
We are interested in streamlining the processes for development approvals under the act, and we have made that submission to John Reeves. Territory Labor's contribution to the Reeves review is 5 pages of gobbledegook. It contains no reference to the mining industry which has been held to ransom by this act, but I guess that is better than Territory Labor's contribution to the Wik debate, which has been non-existent. The Leader of the Opposition and Territory Labor do not care about Territorians or economic growth. If they did, they would do something to show that they cared.
Last week, the Leader of the Opposition admitted that Territory Labor was bound to support the ALP position on Jabiluka, and apparently that goes for everything else as well. Is that what Territorians have to look forward to if ever Territory Labor were to win government in the Territory? The Leader of the Opposition is failing in her role. She is failing as opposition spokesperson for resource development and, most importantly, she is failing to stand up for people in her own home town.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016