❓ Mr. Birney questions the State Development Minister regarding a report on tailings dam safety following the Emu Gold Mine disaster, focusing on risk assessment and placement of tailings facilities. The Minister clarifies the report's nature and refers to existing departmental guidelines.
AnsweredQoN 1733Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(b) if not, why not; (c) is it correct that part of the report states: ‘In Western Australia the biggest single loss of life in one event in the mining industry was the six people who died at the Emu Gold Mine… One major lesson to be learned from this event is to consider all what if questions, so that possible problems however remote are taken into account. A second lesson is to avoid, if at all practicable, placing a tailings storage facility in a drainage course’; (d) if not, will the Minister state what was in the report; (e) if yes, will the Minister table a copy of the report; (f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(c) is it correct that part of the report states: ‘In Western Australia the biggest single loss of life in one event in the mining industry was the six people who died at the Emu Gold Mine… One major lesson to be learned from this event is to consider all what if questions, so that possible problems however remote are taken into account. A second lesson is to avoid, if at all practicable, placing a tailings storage facility in a drainage course’; (d) if not, will the Minister state what was in the report; (e) if yes, will the Minister table a copy of the report; (f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(d) if not, will the Minister state what was in the report; (e) if yes, will the Minister table a copy of the report; (f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(e) if yes, will the Minister table a copy of the report; (f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(a-m) The report referred to is in fact a paper prepared and delivered by the then Assistant Director, Research and Technical Services at an Australian Centre for Geomechanics Workshop on Tailings Management for Decision Makers in April 1997. The paper reflects the views of the Author and was designed to raise the awareness of the participants of the risks associated with their decisions and provide a focus for discussion. The standards and design criteria required by the Department are clearly explained in the Guideline on the Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage, published in May 1999 and still current. The issues to be considered for site selection are clearly laid out in this document. These are standards that the department expects industry to follow.
The standards and design criteria required by the Department are clearly explained in the Guideline on the Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage, published in May 1999 and still current. The issues to be considered for site selection are clearly laid out in this document. These are standards that the department expects industry to follow.
(c) is it correct that part of the report states: ‘In Western Australia the biggest single loss of life in one event in the mining industry was the six people who died at the Emu Gold Mine… One major lesson to be learned from this event is to consider all what if questions, so that possible problems however remote are taken into account. A second lesson is to avoid, if at all practicable, placing a tailings storage facility in a drainage course’; (d) if not, will the Minister state what was in the report; (e) if yes, will the Minister table a copy of the report; (f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(d) if not, will the Minister state what was in the report; (e) if yes, will the Minister table a copy of the report; (f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(e) if yes, will the Minister table a copy of the report; (f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(f) does the Department consider and assess all ‘what if’ questions so that possible problems, however remote, are taken into account in relation to tailings dams and all mining operations throughout the State; (g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(g) if not, why not; (h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(h) if yes, will the Minister explain the reasons why; (i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(i) will the Minister explain how detailed and thoroughly the Department considers and assess’ projects so that possible problems however remote are taken into account; (j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(j) if not, why not; (k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(k) does the Department consider and assess tailings dams / water holding dams for Departmental approval on all mining operations with a view to avoiding placing either in a drainage course; (l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(l) if not, why not; and (m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(m) if yes, will the Minister give an approximate date on which this commenced and state the reasons why?
(a-m) The report referred to is in fact a paper prepared and delivered by the then Assistant Director, Research and Technical Services at an Australian Centre for Geomechanics Workshop on Tailings Management for Decision Makers in April 1997. The paper reflects the views of the Author and was designed to raise the awareness of the participants of the risks associated with their decisions and provide a focus for discussion. The standards and design criteria required by the Department are clearly explained in the Guideline on the Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage, published in May 1999 and still current. The issues to be considered for site selection are clearly laid out in this document. These are standards that the department expects industry to follow.
The standards and design criteria required by the Department are clearly explained in the Guideline on the Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage, published in May 1999 and still current. The issues to be considered for site selection are clearly laid out in this document. These are standards that the department expects industry to follow.
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
27 June 2002
Responded by
Minister for State Development
Response time
70 days
I am advised:
(a-m) The report referred to is in fact a paper prepared and delivered by the then Assistant Director, Research and Technical Services at an Australian Centre for Geomechanics Workshop on Tailings Management for Decision Makers in April 1997. The paper reflects the views of the Author and was designed to raise the awareness of the participants of the risks associated with their decisions and provide a focus for discussion.
The standards and design criteria required by the Department are clearly explained in the Guideline on the Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage, published in May 1999 and still current. The issues to be considered for site selection are clearly laid out in this document. These are standards that the department expects industry to follow.
(a-m) The report referred to is in fact a paper prepared and delivered by the then Assistant Director, Research and Technical Services at an Australian Centre for Geomechanics Workshop on Tailings Management for Decision Makers in April 1997. The paper reflects the views of the Author and was designed to raise the awareness of the participants of the risks associated with their decisions and provide a focus for discussion.
The standards and design criteria required by the Department are clearly explained in the Guideline on the Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage, published in May 1999 and still current. The issues to be considered for site selection are clearly laid out in this document. These are standards that the department expects industry to follow.
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