Mr HATTON - 1999-04-27
I note that 2 active opponents of the Jabiluka mine have recently received an American environmental award. I understand there are details posted on the web site for the award which appear to have a number of factual errors concerning the Jabiluka project. Could the minister please advise if he’s taken any action to correct this misinformation?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I’ll state upfront that the Goldman Environmental Prize which has been awarded to the Jabiluka opponents, Jacqui Katona and Yvonne Margarula, is an award made outside Australia by people who obviously don’t have any idea about what’s going on inside Australia. I’ve taken the time to look at the award’s web site and in particular the blurb on Ms Katona and also Ms Margarula. I take exception to some very blatant errors of fact on that site.
I’ve written to the chairman of the Goldman Environmental Prize to draw their attention to the site’s propaganda, and I’ll table the letter later when I’ve finished, but I have recommended that the chairman take a look at the recently released government and independent scientific reports prepared for the World Heritage Committee to ensure that the credibility of the Goldman Environmental Prize is not damaged by the activists’ misrepresentations of fact.
Some of the misrepresentations on the site include the statement that Jabiluka is located in the heart of Kakadu. In fact, the leases involved are beside the outer north eastern reaches of the 20 000 square kilometre park. They have been progressively surrounded by Kakadu Park and World Heritage Listing. The World Heritage Listing, as members would know in the area, has occurred on 3 occasions, the last in 1992 after the Ranger Mine site had been operating for 13 years and with the full knowledge that the Jabiluka development would proceed.
Ms Margarula’s father was one of a number of Aboriginal elders who, in 1982, gave Pancontinental Mining Ltd their approval for Jabiluka to proceed and that agreement was assigned to the present leasee in 1991. Furthermore, and this is of interest, Ms Margarula was a member of a group of local Aboriginal people who in 1992 lobbied the Australian Government for Jabiluka to proceed.
To date the Ranger mine has made some $145m in royalty payments to Aboriginal people with Jabiluka expected to provide an additional $210m. The Gundjehemi Corporation, which was established only 4 years ago, has received at least $4m in royalty payments for uranium mining on its land as well as lease payments and, interestingly, the 2 award recipients also live in accommodation provided by ERA.
The award profiles’ claim that the mine will unavoidably release tailings into the park is astonishing. It’s a false statement and it illustrates a complete lack of research and a complete lack of understanding of the environmental science applied by ERA and independent Australian and international scientists. The tailings have about 20% less radioactivity compared to their natural state as found at the surface in the Kakadu Region, 20% less, and those tailings go back into the mine so they go back to where they come from.
Ranger and Jabiluka are the most regulated mine sites on the planet. The award is a sham and I table the letter that I’ve written to the Chairman.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I’ll state upfront that the Goldman Environmental Prize which has been awarded to the Jabiluka opponents, Jacqui Katona and Yvonne Margarula, is an award made outside Australia by people who obviously don’t have any idea about what’s going on inside Australia. I’ve taken the time to look at the award’s web site and in particular the blurb on Ms Katona and also Ms Margarula. I take exception to some very blatant errors of fact on that site.
I’ve written to the chairman of the Goldman Environmental Prize to draw their attention to the site’s propaganda, and I’ll table the letter later when I’ve finished, but I have recommended that the chairman take a look at the recently released government and independent scientific reports prepared for the World Heritage Committee to ensure that the credibility of the Goldman Environmental Prize is not damaged by the activists’ misrepresentations of fact.
Some of the misrepresentations on the site include the statement that Jabiluka is located in the heart of Kakadu. In fact, the leases involved are beside the outer north eastern reaches of the 20 000 square kilometre park. They have been progressively surrounded by Kakadu Park and World Heritage Listing. The World Heritage Listing, as members would know in the area, has occurred on 3 occasions, the last in 1992 after the Ranger Mine site had been operating for 13 years and with the full knowledge that the Jabiluka development would proceed.
Ms Margarula’s father was one of a number of Aboriginal elders who, in 1982, gave Pancontinental Mining Ltd their approval for Jabiluka to proceed and that agreement was assigned to the present leasee in 1991. Furthermore, and this is of interest, Ms Margarula was a member of a group of local Aboriginal people who in 1992 lobbied the Australian Government for Jabiluka to proceed.
To date the Ranger mine has made some $145m in royalty payments to Aboriginal people with Jabiluka expected to provide an additional $210m. The Gundjehemi Corporation, which was established only 4 years ago, has received at least $4m in royalty payments for uranium mining on its land as well as lease payments and, interestingly, the 2 award recipients also live in accommodation provided by ERA.
The award profiles’ claim that the mine will unavoidably release tailings into the park is astonishing. It’s a false statement and it illustrates a complete lack of research and a complete lack of understanding of the environmental science applied by ERA and independent Australian and international scientists. The tailings have about 20% less radioactivity compared to their natural state as found at the surface in the Kakadu Region, 20% less, and those tailings go back into the mine so they go back to where they come from.
Ranger and Jabiluka are the most regulated mine sites on the planet. The award is a sham and I table the letter that I’ve written to the Chairman.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016