Mr STYLES - 2013-02-13
Last night in London the board of Rio Tinto made a decision on the future of Gove and whether it would continue the mining and refinery operation in that town. Could you please update the House as to the outcome of that most important meeting?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson. It is a most important question and one I would have thought would be top of mind for the great Labor Party that wants to keep a ...
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: Anyway, to advise those who have a real interest in the future of the Northern Territory and how governments operate, I advise members of this Chamber and Territorians that the Rio Tinto board met last night, Territory time, and was informed at that meeting of the decision made by Cabinet on Monday. They consequently made a decision to keep the refinery in operation.
From here, colleagues and Territorians, a number of steps need to be followed. First, the Commonwealth needs to ensure the underwriting of a gas pipeline, now we have gas, so we can progress these discussions. The second aspect is the finalising of commercial arrangements for gas supply. The third is environmental and land access clearances. Work can now commence on the conversion of the refinery from oil to gas.
I thank the traditional owners because this has been an extraordinary event where there have been so many stakeholders across the Northern Territory, and nationally, who have lined up together on both sides of politics. Martin Ferguson, I commend and thank you. I also thank my Coalition colleagues federally for their support, Ian McFarlane in particular.
I also acknowledge the difficulties faced and endured by the Nhulunbuy community. Klaus Helms, I thank you. Dr Ted Campbell has done an extraordinary job and won the admiration of all those he has negotiated with. Sadly, that respect has not been evidenced by the Opposition Leader.
I acknowledge the work of Mike Burgess and Gary Barnes - they have done an extraordinary job behind the scenes - and the team which has worked with them to assist in getting us to this point; Jason Schoolmeester, who has always been there; and particularly the burden carried by the task force in developing, very thoughtfully, the contingency plans if the decision was made to mothball the refinery. They were very real plans and had to be worked through. We had those plans well advanced, but I always worked on the basis that we needed to make every effort to make gas available so we can keep the refinery going. I am very pleased that decision was made in London last night ...
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson. It is a most important question and one I would have thought would be top of mind for the great Labor Party that wants to keep a ...
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: Anyway, to advise those who have a real interest in the future of the Northern Territory and how governments operate, I advise members of this Chamber and Territorians that the Rio Tinto board met last night, Territory time, and was informed at that meeting of the decision made by Cabinet on Monday. They consequently made a decision to keep the refinery in operation.
From here, colleagues and Territorians, a number of steps need to be followed. First, the Commonwealth needs to ensure the underwriting of a gas pipeline, now we have gas, so we can progress these discussions. The second aspect is the finalising of commercial arrangements for gas supply. The third is environmental and land access clearances. Work can now commence on the conversion of the refinery from oil to gas.
I thank the traditional owners because this has been an extraordinary event where there have been so many stakeholders across the Northern Territory, and nationally, who have lined up together on both sides of politics. Martin Ferguson, I commend and thank you. I also thank my Coalition colleagues federally for their support, Ian McFarlane in particular.
I also acknowledge the difficulties faced and endured by the Nhulunbuy community. Klaus Helms, I thank you. Dr Ted Campbell has done an extraordinary job and won the admiration of all those he has negotiated with. Sadly, that respect has not been evidenced by the Opposition Leader.
I acknowledge the work of Mike Burgess and Gary Barnes - they have done an extraordinary job behind the scenes - and the team which has worked with them to assist in getting us to this point; Jason Schoolmeester, who has always been there; and particularly the burden carried by the task force in developing, very thoughtfully, the contingency plans if the decision was made to mothball the refinery. They were very real plans and had to be worked through. We had those plans well advanced, but I always worked on the basis that we needed to make every effort to make gas available so we can keep the refinery going. I am very pleased that decision was made in London last night ...
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016