Ms PURICK - 2008-09-18
In October last year, the former Chief Minister issued a media release announcing 700 residential dwellings to be built on Berrimah Research Farm land. In that same release, you claimed that the site is suitable for residential land units - that means families, children, and pets. When you made that statement, were you aware that there is a 44 gallon drum of arsenic-contaminated material - arsenic, heavy metals, dangerous - buried on the farm? What other issues of contamination at that site were you aware of when you made your announcement?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Goyder. I know she does not want to see Berrimah Research Farm proceed as a residential development …
Ms Purick: The drum is buried, minister.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, Berrimah Research Farm is ideally located. It is high land, it gets prevailing harbour breezes, and is ideally located for a magnificent residential development. The future residents of Berrimah Farm …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, cease interjecting!
Ms LAWRIE: … will be able to shop at the new Harbour Town to be built …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is trivialising a very serious issue. This is about a 44 gallon drum of arsenic. The question was asked very deliberately. This is a public health and safety issue. I ask that you urge the minister to answer this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you answer the question as closely as possible to whatever the question is.
Ms LAWRIE: Absolutely, but it is important to put this in context - that is, the government will develop Berrimah Research Farm. Okay? We will proceed with Berrimah Research Farm.
I turn to the issue of contamination. I have been talking about this issue publicly today, and it will be detailed so that the members have the full information.
We have a very rigorous process for dealing with potential contamination on land that may be redeveloped …
Ms Purick: You said it was suitable land.
Ms LAWRIE: It is.
Ms Purick: Why do you need the assessment then?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Just as the waterfront is very suitable for a development there, just as the Stuart Park tank farm area is beautiful and suitable for development. You will see a nice development occurring just on the left-hand side as you are driving out to the rural area.
Site contamination is not unusual. There are processes for dealing with site contamination. Once you deal with your site contamination, you ensure that, in that, there is remediation …
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: If members would stop interrupting me, I will talk through the process. We have a very rigorous process for dealing with any potential contamination on land that may be redeveloped for sensitive land uses such as residential. It has been successfully applied at sites such as the old tank farm and at the Darwin Waterfront development.
The Territory is a party to the National Environmental Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure, a legal instrument which binds the Territory. The National Environment Protection Measure ensures that sites are assessed …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order; Madam Speaker! The question was quite specific - was she aware that the drum was there when she made the announcement? Yes or no.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, there is no point of order. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Port Darwin does not want the public to hear the process that we followed ...
Mr Elferink: I think you do not want the public to hear.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, the minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: The National Environment Protection Measure ensures that sites are assessed for human health and ecological risk to a consistent national standard. Each site, of course, is different. We knew Berrimah Farm was a research farm, we knew there were things that we would discover through this process, and we would deal with through this process. That is why a site history and a preliminary soil and water sampling is undertaken as a Tier 1 process to assess the environmental and public health risk. This work is being done by credible environmental consultants. The results of this Tier 1 process are then used to determine whether a comprehensive full site or Tier 2 assessment is undertaken, subject to the national protocols.
This second process is overseen by an accredited and independent site contamination auditor. Compliance with this Tier 2 process is secured through the Waste Management and Pollution Control Act, or development permits issued under the Planning Act. This assessment is then used to determine whether remediation is required to ensure the land is fit for the intended purpose.
If remediation is required, a plan is drafted by environmental consultants and submitted for approval by both the independent auditor and the government. The implementation of the remediation plan is overseen by the auditor.
At completion, the independent auditor then prepares a statement that the land is suitable for its intended use, either with or without special conditions being met. If conditions are specified by the auditor, these conditions are attached to the land title by way of caution notices. The independent auditor assumes liability for this determination. I can assure members that no auditor signs off on clean up unless they are absolutely satisfied.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Goyder. I know she does not want to see Berrimah Research Farm proceed as a residential development …
Ms Purick: The drum is buried, minister.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, Berrimah Research Farm is ideally located. It is high land, it gets prevailing harbour breezes, and is ideally located for a magnificent residential development. The future residents of Berrimah Farm …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, cease interjecting!
Ms LAWRIE: … will be able to shop at the new Harbour Town to be built …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is trivialising a very serious issue. This is about a 44 gallon drum of arsenic. The question was asked very deliberately. This is a public health and safety issue. I ask that you urge the minister to answer this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you answer the question as closely as possible to whatever the question is.
Ms LAWRIE: Absolutely, but it is important to put this in context - that is, the government will develop Berrimah Research Farm. Okay? We will proceed with Berrimah Research Farm.
I turn to the issue of contamination. I have been talking about this issue publicly today, and it will be detailed so that the members have the full information.
We have a very rigorous process for dealing with potential contamination on land that may be redeveloped …
Ms Purick: You said it was suitable land.
Ms LAWRIE: It is.
Ms Purick: Why do you need the assessment then?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Just as the waterfront is very suitable for a development there, just as the Stuart Park tank farm area is beautiful and suitable for development. You will see a nice development occurring just on the left-hand side as you are driving out to the rural area.
Site contamination is not unusual. There are processes for dealing with site contamination. Once you deal with your site contamination, you ensure that, in that, there is remediation …
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: If members would stop interrupting me, I will talk through the process. We have a very rigorous process for dealing with any potential contamination on land that may be redeveloped for sensitive land uses such as residential. It has been successfully applied at sites such as the old tank farm and at the Darwin Waterfront development.
The Territory is a party to the National Environmental Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure, a legal instrument which binds the Territory. The National Environment Protection Measure ensures that sites are assessed …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order; Madam Speaker! The question was quite specific - was she aware that the drum was there when she made the announcement? Yes or no.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, there is no point of order. Minister, please continue.
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Port Darwin does not want the public to hear the process that we followed ...
Mr Elferink: I think you do not want the public to hear.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, the minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: The National Environment Protection Measure ensures that sites are assessed for human health and ecological risk to a consistent national standard. Each site, of course, is different. We knew Berrimah Farm was a research farm, we knew there were things that we would discover through this process, and we would deal with through this process. That is why a site history and a preliminary soil and water sampling is undertaken as a Tier 1 process to assess the environmental and public health risk. This work is being done by credible environmental consultants. The results of this Tier 1 process are then used to determine whether a comprehensive full site or Tier 2 assessment is undertaken, subject to the national protocols.
This second process is overseen by an accredited and independent site contamination auditor. Compliance with this Tier 2 process is secured through the Waste Management and Pollution Control Act, or development permits issued under the Planning Act. This assessment is then used to determine whether remediation is required to ensure the land is fit for the intended purpose.
If remediation is required, a plan is drafted by environmental consultants and submitted for approval by both the independent auditor and the government. The implementation of the remediation plan is overseen by the auditor.
At completion, the independent auditor then prepares a statement that the land is suitable for its intended use, either with or without special conditions being met. If conditions are specified by the auditor, these conditions are attached to the land title by way of caution notices. The independent auditor assumes liability for this determination. I can assure members that no auditor signs off on clean up unless they are absolutely satisfied.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016