❓ Mr. Hatton questions the Premier about the historic agreement between the state government, Rio Tinto, and Alcoa that enabled the inclusion of Mitchell Plateau in a new Kimberley national park. The Premier details the agreement's termination, Rio Tinto's relinquishing of mineral rights, and the expansion of the conservation estate.
AnsweredQoN 204Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KIMBERLEY
NATIONAL PARK
204. Mr C.D. HATTON to the
Premier:
I take the opportunity first to acknowledge and welcome the
staff and students from the primary school Our Lady of Lourdes School in the
member for Morley's electorate, if they are in the chamber.
The Premier today announced that Mitchell Plateau will be
included in a new Kimberley national park. Can the Premier please provide the
house with details of the historic agreement between the state government, Rio
Tinto and Alcoa of Australia that made this possible, and what this means for
all Western Australians?
NATIONAL PARK
204. Mr C.D. HATTON to the
Premier:
I take the opportunity first to acknowledge and welcome the
staff and students from the primary school Our Lady of Lourdes School in the
member for Morley's electorate, if they are in the chamber.
The Premier today announced that Mitchell Plateau will be
included in a new Kimberley national park. Can the Premier please provide the
house with details of the historic agreement between the state government, Rio
Tinto and Alcoa of Australia that made this possible, and what this means for
all Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
Indeed, today was a historic moment in the creation of
national parks and in the conservation of our natural estate. The Liberal–National
government has had as its highest environmental priority the protection and
conservation of the Kimberley, its biodiversity and its magnificent landscape.
We have made a lot of progress through the environment portfolio. Members will
be aware that under this government, five new marine parks either have been
established or will be established, including Camden Sound, the area of
breeding and calving of whales. Indeed, the marine estate in conservation
basically stretches from Broome right around to the Northern Territory border.
We have also created Prince Regent National Park. The gap in the middle is the
Mitchell Plateau. Mitchell Plateau is an iconic area frequently in promotions of
Western Australia alongside the Mitchell Falls. It is a spectacular area, rich
in biodiversity, rich in tourism potential and rich in Aboriginal heritage.
The issue with the Mitchell Plateau was that back in 1971 a
state agreement was reached with the state government, obviously, and with
Alcoa and Rio Tinto as the joint venture partners. Mitchell Plateau is rich in
bauxite, and this agreement was to allow mining and the eventual development of
an alumina refinery. For a range of reasons, principally economic, that has not
happened. Two years ago, detailed negotiations began between the Department of
State Development and the Mitchell Plateau joint venture, and they have now
been successfully concluded. I was delighted today, along with the Minister for
Environment and Sam Walsh, the CEO of Rio Tinto, to announce that the agreement
act from 1971 will be terminated, that the joint venture will give up all its
rights to mineral resources in Mitchell Plateau and that area of 1 760 square
kilometres will be transferred into the conservation estate and will ultimately
be part of the great Kimberley wilderness park, or whatever it might be called
finally. That is a demonstration of great responsibility by a leading
international company in Rio Tinto, and really does create an extraordinary
effort in conservation. Prince Regent National Park, or Kimberley national park
as it will be, will be Australia's largest terrestrial park. That,
combined with the marine parks that are being established, will create over 50 000
square kilometres of the Kimberley in the conservation estate.
I am immensely proud that this government has been able to
achieve that. I congratulate the minister and I also congratulate Rio Tinto. I
think it is reasonable to say that the creation of this great Kimberley
national park and the adjacent marine park is the most significant conservation
achievement in the history of Western Australia.
Indeed, today was a historic moment in the creation of
national parks and in the conservation of our natural estate. The Liberal–National
government has had as its highest environmental priority the protection and
conservation of the Kimberley, its biodiversity and its magnificent landscape.
We have made a lot of progress through the environment portfolio. Members will
be aware that under this government, five new marine parks either have been
established or will be established, including Camden Sound, the area of
breeding and calving of whales. Indeed, the marine estate in conservation
basically stretches from Broome right around to the Northern Territory border.
We have also created Prince Regent National Park. The gap in the middle is the
Mitchell Plateau. Mitchell Plateau is an iconic area frequently in promotions of
Western Australia alongside the Mitchell Falls. It is a spectacular area, rich
in biodiversity, rich in tourism potential and rich in Aboriginal heritage.
The issue with the Mitchell Plateau was that back in 1971 a
state agreement was reached with the state government, obviously, and with
Alcoa and Rio Tinto as the joint venture partners. Mitchell Plateau is rich in
bauxite, and this agreement was to allow mining and the eventual development of
an alumina refinery. For a range of reasons, principally economic, that has not
happened. Two years ago, detailed negotiations began between the Department of
State Development and the Mitchell Plateau joint venture, and they have now
been successfully concluded. I was delighted today, along with the Minister for
Environment and Sam Walsh, the CEO of Rio Tinto, to announce that the agreement
act from 1971 will be terminated, that the joint venture will give up all its
rights to mineral resources in Mitchell Plateau and that area of 1 760 square
kilometres will be transferred into the conservation estate and will ultimately
be part of the great Kimberley wilderness park, or whatever it might be called
finally. That is a demonstration of great responsibility by a leading
international company in Rio Tinto, and really does create an extraordinary
effort in conservation. Prince Regent National Park, or Kimberley national park
as it will be, will be Australia's largest terrestrial park. That,
combined with the marine parks that are being established, will create over 50 000
square kilometres of the Kimberley in the conservation estate.
I am immensely proud that this government has been able to
achieve that. I congratulate the minister and I also congratulate Rio Tinto. I
think it is reasonable to say that the creation of this great Kimberley
national park and the adjacent marine park is the most significant conservation
achievement in the history of Western Australia.
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