Question Time

MINERAL EXPLORATION

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mineral Resources Development a question in relation to the consultation paper on proposed short-term amendments to the Mining Act.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I referred to this particular consultation paper in last week's question time. On reading the foreword or introduction I noted a number of areas that the minister wants to cover. He says that recent events have highlighted the act and regulation of significant shortcomings in certain areas, such as outdated penalties and fees, illegal mining, access to land, size of tenements, release of technical information and reducing red tape. He said that the act requires better notification protocols for landholders and a mechanism to obligate proposed operators to engage the local community at an early stage of a project.

In view of the above, the Minister for Mineral Resources Development has given approval to make short-term amendments to the Mining Act and regulations, subject to full consultation with all stakeholders. I have been contacted by a number of stakeholders who have advised me that the department is in constant correspondence with them. Being tenement holders or operators, every six months they get a letter asking for their six-monthly returns on activity, and every seven years a renewal notice. A number of these stakeholders claim that they have not been consulted at all.

My question to the minister is: can he detail exactly what consultation has taken place, and have all stakeholders been consulted?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (14:37): The paper was just released the other day for consultation. I do not have a copy with me with the dates on it but, clearly, that paper has been sent to the major bodies. The Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) is certainly well aware of that. The honourable member who asked the question was at the SACOME dinner the other day, which had at least several hundred key people from the mining industry there, when that was mentioned.

If the honourable member really wants to know exactly who the paper has been sent to, I will get him that information. It also has been advertised in the press that this paper would be released, inviting members of the public or from the industry to contact the department to get a copy. It is out for submissions—I know that some submissions have already been received—and then we will be having further discussions with the various industry bodies.

This government does believe in consultation, and it is in the process of doing that at the moment. I suggest that that contrasts with some of the cases we have seen in the past, where such changes would just be dropped into parliament, rather than being put out there for discussion before any changes are proposed to be put before the parliament.