Ms MARTIN - 1996-08-15
Can the minister confirm that lead/zinc concentrate has been polluting Darwin Harbour by dropping off the wharf conveyor belt? Can he confirm that, following my letter to him, an attempt was made to clean it up during which additional quantities were washed into the harbour? Will the minister tell us how long this situation has existed and what actions have been taken against the mining company to ensure this does not recur?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is yet another example of emotional misrepresentation of the facts to create concern in the community and to attempt to give an impression that the Labor Party is being effective - in particular, that the member for Fannie Bay is busy doing something. I do not know whether she had a look at this operation. She may have. If she did, she would have noticed that there is a mechanism in place to trap sediment that may fall off the conveyor belts or other equipment at the loading facility. She would be aware that there are traps in the drainage system to catch that sediment.
Ms Martin: There was a frantic clean-up.
Mr REED: Don't be rude again. You have asked a question. I will see if I can recall some facts to give you an answer.
A letter is being drafted in response to the letter that the member wrote, seeking information. Probably, the Minister for Mines and Energy also will be providing some information to the member for Fannie Bay. It is my recollection that the mechanism that is used to channel run-off water from that area has a number of traps which catch the sediment. I am speaking from memory, so do not hold me directly to the facts ...
Mr Ede: We would never try to do that.
Mr REED: That is interesting. If I were to say that I did not have all the facts in front of me, but that I would ...
Mr Bailey: It has never stopped you in the past.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: ... get back to you, members opposite would be saying that I was dodging the question. I am giving the member some information, and she will receive a more detailed response later. Out of respect for her, I am trying to give her some information now. People
Page 1501
listening to the broadcast may also want to hear, and they may have a little more respect for the information than members opposite.
When the traps dry out, I understand that they are cleaned out by shovel. The removed sediment is taken back to Woodcutters Mine and stored in the waste areas. Clearly, measures are in place to avoid any pollution risk. I am looking at the processes that are in place. Officers from, I think, the Department of Mines and Energy, the Port Authority and the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, with the cooperation of the companies concerned, have determined that there is potential to improve the processes by which the sediment is caught. I believe that is limited principally to including some baffles capable of trapping the material that floats on top of the water. It is only a small amount of the overall material concerned. It is a lead/zinc concentrate. It is very heavy and most of it is in the water, but a small amount in the form of dust floats on top of the water. Baffles will be placed to catch that, thereby enhancing the protection measures.
I understand that there have been no heavy levels of pollution. We have been through all this before. We have heard the emotive arguments of the member for Arnhem about the big hydraulic oil spill that occurred at the wharf development. Investigations were made and it proved to be yet another furphy, another misinterpretation of the facts, and another opportunity taken by the Labor members opposite to try to have a go at the government, without recognising the good management practices that have been put in place, not only by the government but also by Territory industry, to protect the environment, in particular the harbour. More detail will be provided to the member for Fannie Bay. She sits there shaking her head, with a silly look on her face. Even when she is given the information, it is not possible to get the message through to her. I hope that someone will be able to explain it to her in the childlike terms that she may be able to understand. I am sure the people listening will understand the processes that I have described and the improvements that will be put in place to ensure that the environmental safeguards will become better even than they are at present.
Page 1502
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is yet another example of emotional misrepresentation of the facts to create concern in the community and to attempt to give an impression that the Labor Party is being effective - in particular, that the member for Fannie Bay is busy doing something. I do not know whether she had a look at this operation. She may have. If she did, she would have noticed that there is a mechanism in place to trap sediment that may fall off the conveyor belts or other equipment at the loading facility. She would be aware that there are traps in the drainage system to catch that sediment.
Ms Martin: There was a frantic clean-up.
Mr REED: Don't be rude again. You have asked a question. I will see if I can recall some facts to give you an answer.
A letter is being drafted in response to the letter that the member wrote, seeking information. Probably, the Minister for Mines and Energy also will be providing some information to the member for Fannie Bay. It is my recollection that the mechanism that is used to channel run-off water from that area has a number of traps which catch the sediment. I am speaking from memory, so do not hold me directly to the facts ...
Mr Ede: We would never try to do that.
Mr REED: That is interesting. If I were to say that I did not have all the facts in front of me, but that I would ...
Mr Bailey: It has never stopped you in the past.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: ... get back to you, members opposite would be saying that I was dodging the question. I am giving the member some information, and she will receive a more detailed response later. Out of respect for her, I am trying to give her some information now. People
Page 1501
listening to the broadcast may also want to hear, and they may have a little more respect for the information than members opposite.
When the traps dry out, I understand that they are cleaned out by shovel. The removed sediment is taken back to Woodcutters Mine and stored in the waste areas. Clearly, measures are in place to avoid any pollution risk. I am looking at the processes that are in place. Officers from, I think, the Department of Mines and Energy, the Port Authority and the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, with the cooperation of the companies concerned, have determined that there is potential to improve the processes by which the sediment is caught. I believe that is limited principally to including some baffles capable of trapping the material that floats on top of the water. It is only a small amount of the overall material concerned. It is a lead/zinc concentrate. It is very heavy and most of it is in the water, but a small amount in the form of dust floats on top of the water. Baffles will be placed to catch that, thereby enhancing the protection measures.
I understand that there have been no heavy levels of pollution. We have been through all this before. We have heard the emotive arguments of the member for Arnhem about the big hydraulic oil spill that occurred at the wharf development. Investigations were made and it proved to be yet another furphy, another misinterpretation of the facts, and another opportunity taken by the Labor members opposite to try to have a go at the government, without recognising the good management practices that have been put in place, not only by the government but also by Territory industry, to protect the environment, in particular the harbour. More detail will be provided to the member for Fannie Bay. She sits there shaking her head, with a silly look on her face. Even when she is given the information, it is not possible to get the message through to her. I hope that someone will be able to explain it to her in the childlike terms that she may be able to understand. I am sure the people listening will understand the processes that I have described and the improvements that will be put in place to ensure that the environmental safeguards will become better even than they are at present.
Page 1502
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016