❓ Hon Giz Watson questions the Minister for Mines and Petroleum about adopting South Australia's regulatory practices for uranium mining, specifically regarding exemptions from environmental and heritage legislation. The Minister avoids a direct commitment, emphasizing consultation and aiming for 'world's best practice'.
AnsweredQoN 213Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
URANIUM MINING — WORLD’S BEST PRACTICE
I refer to the world’s best practice for regulating uranium mining that the minister spoke about yesterday. (1) Will the minister confirm that the world’s best practice as demonstrated at Olympic Dam in South Australia includes exempting the operation under the South Australian Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act from the powers of the South Australian Environment Protection Act, Water Resources Act, Aboriginal Heritage Act and Freedom of Information Act? (2) Is that the type of world’s best practice the minister intends to apply to uranium mining in Western Australia? (3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE
I refer to the world’s best practice for regulating uranium mining that the minister spoke about yesterday. (1) Will the minister confirm that the world’s best practice as demonstrated at Olympic Dam in South Australia includes exempting the operation under the South Australian Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act from the powers of the South Australian Environment Protection Act, Water Resources Act, Aboriginal Heritage Act and Freedom of Information Act? (2) Is that the type of world’s best practice the minister intends to apply to uranium mining in Western Australia? (3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(1) Will the minister confirm that the world’s best practice as demonstrated at Olympic Dam in South Australia includes exempting the operation under the South Australian Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act from the powers of the South Australian Environment Protection Act, Water Resources Act, Aboriginal Heritage Act and Freedom of Information Act? (2) Is that the type of world’s best practice the minister intends to apply to uranium mining in Western Australia? (3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(2) Is that the type of world’s best practice the minister intends to apply to uranium mining in Western Australia? (3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(1) Will the minister confirm that the world’s best practice as demonstrated at Olympic Dam in South Australia includes exempting the operation under the South Australian Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act from the powers of the South Australian Environment Protection Act, Water Resources Act, Aboriginal Heritage Act and Freedom of Information Act? (2) Is that the type of world’s best practice the minister intends to apply to uranium mining in Western Australia? (3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(2) Is that the type of world’s best practice the minister intends to apply to uranium mining in Western Australia? (3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(3) If yes, by what mechanism will the minister override these types of legislation? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
(1)-(3) I do not intend to make a judgement about what goes on in South Australia under its Labor government. I suspect that, in the opinion of the South Australian government, the processes it has in place are world’s best practice. I have not spoken to members of the South Australian government. I said yesterday that the state of Western Australia is in consultation with the state of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, all of which are Labor governments, I might add, to discuss the best regulatory regime that can be put in place in Western Australia. We have made no decision yet about what it will be other than to acknowledge legislation exists in our state for mining mineral sands, which involves radioactive materials. We will take on board the best advice we can from South Australia, the Northern Territory, the commonwealth and anywhere else in the world that is involved in uranium mining. It is my intention that what we deliver here in Western Australia will be world’s best practice. I am not an expert, but I will take advice from the experts if they believe we have reached that pinnacle. There is no argument that we are prepared to support uranium mining, but that will be under the most stringent environmental and occupational health and safety conditions. When we have made a decision about the regulatory regime in Western Australia, it will have to come to Parliament and members will have every opportunity to compare it with that in other jurisdictions. If members opposite have ideas about how it can be made better, I will be happy to listen to them.
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