OLYMPIC DAM EXPANSION

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:42): My question is again to the Premier.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs REDMOND: Does the Premier stand by his statement that the government won't be extending the Olympic Dam expansion indenture agreement and, if not, what is the government's position? I will briefly explain the reason for our confusion. The minister for mines said on 29 May this year, and I quote: 'I will not be granting an extension...I don't bluff.' The Treasurer said on 2 August this year, and I quote, 'The state would be very, very reluctant to give them an extension.' The Premier himself said on 4 September this year, and again I quote, 'I won't be approving it, it's as simple as that.'

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:43): The honourable member, of course, quotes me out of context. The long version is that, unless BHP can demonstrate their commitment to South Australia—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No. Because I was asked, if they came to us at the last minute and asked for an approval without satisfying us about some key matters, would I approve it, I said, 'No, I wouldn't.' Of course, it was an obvious point to make. It was clearly a misrepresentation, a comment taken out of context, to try to make some cheap political point.

The truth is that the broader South Australian community have had a bit of a blow to the solar plexus as a consequence of BHP's decision. It has been a disappointment to them. It was something about which the South Australian community felt very hopeful. It was obviously going to be a transformative project for the South Australian future. Instead of trying to make cheap political points about it, or instead of advancing some simple, coherent vision for South Australia's economic future, which is available for those opposite, they instead try to make some tricky point using my remarks out of context—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —to try to gain some political mileage. The simple point is this: once we have analysed what precisely it is that BHP are putting to us, we will see whether it is within the terms of the indenture. That is the first proposition. Remembering, of course, that we had a very clear project in the past. Now we have a decision by BHP to talk about engaging in some investigations about the future expansion. We need to understand that, and that is what we are presently analysing.

One thing we do know is that BHP have committed themselves to expanding the BHP mine. They have committed themselves to the open pit expansion, but what they are not presently in a position to do is to tell us that that is going to happen on the existing time line. So, we are methodically working through the proposition they have put to us, and we will make a proper judgement in South Australia's best interests about whether we should extend the indenture arrangements.