Rare Earth Mining

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding rare earth mining.

Leave granted.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Rare earth mining.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Last sitting week in the other place, the member for MacKillop asked a question of the Minister for Energy and Mining as to whether the Malinauskas government would approve a mining licence for Australian Rare Earths at Koppamurra. The minister in his answer responded:

Our adversaries in the region are working very hard to exploit their natural resources and get hold of these rare earths; if we have them, we should too. If that means making a decision in the national interest, this government will.

In a question directed to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development last week, I outlined the extreme concern from the community around Naracoorte regarding rare earth mining. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister consider food and fibre production is also in the national interest?

2. Have she and her office as yet reached out for a meeting with the Limestone Coast Sustainable Futures Association to discuss their grave concerns?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for his question. Certainly, I have been on the record in many different fora talking about the importance of food and fibre to our state. I have talked on many occasions about the fact that it is both the foundation and also the future of our state. We need to be able to ensure that we have a viable primary production sector across all of the different subsectors. As Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Forest Industries, I clearly have a strong dedication to these sectors and to their importance to South Australia.

Rare earth elements are, I am advised, important components in modern technologies, with a diverse range of applications, including high-power magnets, LED lights and batteries. The area that is subject to exploration licences, according to my advice, includes a significant mix of high-value primary production enterprises, including sheep and beef production, irrigated cropping, broadacre cropping, horticulture, viticulture and plantation forestry.

I am advised that Australian Rare Earths, known as AR3, is actively undertaking rare earth element exploration in the region and has signalled an intention to apply for a mining lease in the area. The Mining Act 1971 provides a process to guide interactions between exploration and mining companies and landholders in regard to exploration and mining.

To assist with understanding the mining exploration and mining lease approval process, a Landholder Information Service is available through Rural Business Support. This is a service funded through the state government and is an impartial, free of charge resource available to landholders to seek information on their options, rights and obligations under the Mining Act. I certainly encourage landholders to reach out to the Landholder Information Service to support them to navigate the mining exploration and mining lease process.

I am advised that the Department for Energy and Mining undertook a specific Limestone Coast community engagement process through YourSAy in relation to mining, quarrying or energy projects, and that a report is either going to be made available later this year or may have recently been made available. In terms of meetings, I have had a number of people raise this issue with me at meetings.