Mr McADAM - 2003-11-26
Can you please update the House on the status of the Martin Labor government’s development of a diamond indicator mineral base?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Barkly, for his question. He is a great supporter of the mining industry in the Northern Territory, and the Barkly in particular.
The government is committed to assisting the mining and exploration industry in many practical ways. A recent example, which I am pleased to announce today, is the development of a diamond indicator mineral and diamond mineral chemistry database comprising 58 000 samples from across the Northern Territory which has been released recently.
For members’ identification, I have a map of the Territory here. This map shows, in the dots shaded in various colours, the 58 000 samples contained within the database. Each one of these samples is freely available over the Internet to help explorers target where they are going to apply for exploration leases across the Northern Territory. There is much geological data held within the database about each and every one of these 58 000 samples across the Northern Territory. It is a great credit to the people in my department who have put this database together and have been working on it for the last couple of years.
As I said, the database provides a very powerful early exploration tool, combined with the geophysical data that the department holds, to assist the exploration industry to target where they are going to explore in the Northern Territory. As we can see, we are moving ahead of the rest of Australia at a rapid rate in the grant of exploration licences. By working in partnership with the exploration industry, and the land councils, we are starting to see significant take-up of exploration leases in the Northern Territory.
This database will be on display for the first time in Perth next month at the World Diamond Conference. A new two year program will also map and characterise broad regions of the Territory for explorers. Recent developments in diamond exploration across the Territory include: Gravity Capital announced a farm-in agreement to some of Rio Tinto’s most prospective diamond exploration areas using new airborne FalconTM technology; Rio Tinto, and the member for Daly would be interested in this, has been granted access to land in the Daly River/Port Keats region that represents some of the most prospective diamond country in Australia; and Striker Resources has picked up six exploration licences surrounding the Merlin mining lease in the member for Barkly’s electorate, where there is considerable potential for new diamond pipe discoveries.
When the member for Barkly and I were recently just outside Tennant Creek for Giants Reef’s first gold pour, some of the board members of Giants Reef are also board members of Striker Resources, and they gave me a ‘Geology 101’ lesson in regards to the potential for diamonds in the Borroloola area. They are very excited at picking up those Rio leases.
I am outlining further ways in which this government is assisting the mining industry in the Northern Territory. What this is all about is discovering new resources and, in this particular instance, discovering new diamonds. This is the potential of the Northern Territory.
I would like to show this to honourable members. I wish this was the real thing, Madam Speaker. This is a life-size replica of the largest gem quality diamond that has ever been discovered in Australia. It was discovered at the Merlin Diamond Mine, and was recently on display at the museum, where the Chief Minister and I attended the opening. One hundred and four carats, Madam Speaker. Where there is one, there has to be more, and that is what this database is all about. Rio Tinto asked the traditional owners to give the diamond a name - and I will try and do this justice - Jungiila Bunajina, which means star dreaming. The traditional owners from Borroloola were with the Rio Tinto executives at the museum at Bullocky Point about a month ago.
Territorians flocked to see this particular diamond - 35 000 coming through to see the diamond; more than the Monet Exhibition, according to the Chief Minister. Where there is one, there are going to be more and, hopefully, this database that we are putting together is going to uncover more of these fantastic diamonds in the Northern Territory.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: You can leave it with me, minister, if you like.
Ms Martin: It is not the real thing, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. I will treat it carefully.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Barkly, for his question. He is a great supporter of the mining industry in the Northern Territory, and the Barkly in particular.
The government is committed to assisting the mining and exploration industry in many practical ways. A recent example, which I am pleased to announce today, is the development of a diamond indicator mineral and diamond mineral chemistry database comprising 58 000 samples from across the Northern Territory which has been released recently.
For members’ identification, I have a map of the Territory here. This map shows, in the dots shaded in various colours, the 58 000 samples contained within the database. Each one of these samples is freely available over the Internet to help explorers target where they are going to apply for exploration leases across the Northern Territory. There is much geological data held within the database about each and every one of these 58 000 samples across the Northern Territory. It is a great credit to the people in my department who have put this database together and have been working on it for the last couple of years.
As I said, the database provides a very powerful early exploration tool, combined with the geophysical data that the department holds, to assist the exploration industry to target where they are going to explore in the Northern Territory. As we can see, we are moving ahead of the rest of Australia at a rapid rate in the grant of exploration licences. By working in partnership with the exploration industry, and the land councils, we are starting to see significant take-up of exploration leases in the Northern Territory.
This database will be on display for the first time in Perth next month at the World Diamond Conference. A new two year program will also map and characterise broad regions of the Territory for explorers. Recent developments in diamond exploration across the Territory include: Gravity Capital announced a farm-in agreement to some of Rio Tinto’s most prospective diamond exploration areas using new airborne FalconTM technology; Rio Tinto, and the member for Daly would be interested in this, has been granted access to land in the Daly River/Port Keats region that represents some of the most prospective diamond country in Australia; and Striker Resources has picked up six exploration licences surrounding the Merlin mining lease in the member for Barkly’s electorate, where there is considerable potential for new diamond pipe discoveries.
When the member for Barkly and I were recently just outside Tennant Creek for Giants Reef’s first gold pour, some of the board members of Giants Reef are also board members of Striker Resources, and they gave me a ‘Geology 101’ lesson in regards to the potential for diamonds in the Borroloola area. They are very excited at picking up those Rio leases.
I am outlining further ways in which this government is assisting the mining industry in the Northern Territory. What this is all about is discovering new resources and, in this particular instance, discovering new diamonds. This is the potential of the Northern Territory.
I would like to show this to honourable members. I wish this was the real thing, Madam Speaker. This is a life-size replica of the largest gem quality diamond that has ever been discovered in Australia. It was discovered at the Merlin Diamond Mine, and was recently on display at the museum, where the Chief Minister and I attended the opening. One hundred and four carats, Madam Speaker. Where there is one, there has to be more, and that is what this database is all about. Rio Tinto asked the traditional owners to give the diamond a name - and I will try and do this justice - Jungiila Bunajina, which means star dreaming. The traditional owners from Borroloola were with the Rio Tinto executives at the museum at Bullocky Point about a month ago.
Territorians flocked to see this particular diamond - 35 000 coming through to see the diamond; more than the Monet Exhibition, according to the Chief Minister. Where there is one, there are going to be more and, hopefully, this database that we are putting together is going to uncover more of these fantastic diamonds in the Northern Territory.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: You can leave it with me, minister, if you like.
Ms Martin: It is not the real thing, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. I will treat it carefully.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016