MINING ROYALTIES

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (17:01): I have a supplementary question. Is the minister indicating that this government is not looking at an increase in royalties right across the board but only at royalty increases in relation to the three projects that he has referred to governed by separate indentures?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management) (17:01): The announcement the federal government made last week would have significant impacts on royalties, and obviously we have to pay a great deal of attention to what that will mean. There could be some implications for this state, so of course we are looking now very closely as to what the impacts would be. In those areas where about 90 per cent of this state's mining royalties, as opposed to petroleum royalties, come from, we have been looking at that for a long time—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Lucas might be more interested in this answer, if he would listen.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —and that has been quite clear.