❓ Minister O'Brien provides an update on the Esperance lead contamination issue, detailing the progress of removing stranded lead, including the first shipment and future plans, while contrasting his government's actions with the previous Labor government. He addresses interjections from other members and highlights safety measures.
AnsweredQoN 307Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
esperance lead contamination
Will the minister advise the house of any updates on the Esperance lead contamination issue inherited from the previous Labor government? Hon Kim Chance : Put it on notice! Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
Will the minister advise the house of any updates on the Esperance lead contamination issue inherited from the previous Labor government? Hon Kim Chance : Put it on notice! Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. I know that as a member who represents Esperance, along with other distinguished members, and is also a resident, she is very concerned about this matter. I also heard the glib interjection from Hon Kim Chance. In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon Kim Chance : Put it on notice! Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for the question. I know that as a member who represents Esperance, along with other distinguished members, and is also a resident, she is very concerned about this matter. I also heard the glib interjection from Hon Kim Chance. In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for the question. I know that as a member who represents Esperance, along with other distinguished members, and is also a resident, she is very concerned about this matter. I also heard the glib interjection from Hon Kim Chance. In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
I thank the member for the question. I know that as a member who represents Esperance, along with other distinguished members, and is also a resident, she is very concerned about this matter. I also heard the glib interjection from Hon Kim Chance. In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon Kim Chance : Put it on notice! Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for the question. I know that as a member who represents Esperance, along with other distinguished members, and is also a resident, she is very concerned about this matter. I also heard the glib interjection from Hon Kim Chance. In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for the question. I know that as a member who represents Esperance, along with other distinguished members, and is also a resident, she is very concerned about this matter. I also heard the glib interjection from Hon Kim Chance. In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
I thank the member for the question. I know that as a member who represents Esperance, along with other distinguished members, and is also a resident, she is very concerned about this matter. I also heard the glib interjection from Hon Kim Chance. In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
In the question the member invites me to contrast what we have been doing with the action of the previous government, and so, unlike the previous government, I will not be asking her to place it on notice; I will give her an answer. There is some good news here. There has been a lot of progress and, jokes aside, I have reported to the house on the progress that is being made there. The most recent progress is that there has already been a first shipment of stranded lead out of Esperance. I was expecting this to happen in about late April or early May but, as it happens, some capacity has become available on a BHP Billiton ship. Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon Sally Talbot : Only because Ravensthorpe has closed. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : This ship was actually taking nickel product from the BHP Billiton Ravensthorpe mine. An initial shipment of the Magellan lead concentrate has been sent off to southern China. It is only about 640 tonnes of lead at this stage, but it is a start. A total of probably about 8 000 tonnes is still to go. That is currently being loaded and most of it has already been packed inside the twin-sealed bulker bags. There are roughly two tonnes per bag. Members can do the maths. We are looking at a total of about 320 to 328 containers all told. Those locked containers containing the double-sealed bulker bags will be shipped off, probably in a single further shipment, late this month or early in May. The sealing is being done in a negative pressure environment inside the shed there. I think that demonstrates that the government knows how to supervise the handling of this particular material. A full-time auditor, who is now in residence in Esperance, is overseeing the packaging of the material, and it is also subject to regular inspections on a number of fronts. There is good news there and I thank the member for her interest.
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