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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-07-10 Daily Xml
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NYRSTAR

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood) (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Can the minister confirm what the lead emission level condition in the new EPA licence he referred to in a previous answer is, and has the government determined what the net cost of this new licence condition will be on the Nyrstar operation?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his question. I don't have the figures in front of me with respect to what changes have been made. They are more stringent, as I said. They are based on the lead emissions in the air that they say have a corresponding relationship to the lead levels in children's blood. I don't have those details of a technical nature with me, but I will get them to you and show you. I do not know whether they will mean anything to you, but I will give them to you, anyway, and I am not meaning that in a disrespectful way. What I—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: I'm not.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: I'm not.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: Well, if the member for Norwood is technically minded like that he will understand them better than I. But in layman's terms—and bearing in mind that is what I am—we have certain conditions placed on them now. Those conditions were not being met, and it was exposed by the spike. More stringent conditions are being put on them, which was agreed to by Nyrstar; and, of course, as I said in answer to my earlier question, that in itself is an indication that if—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: —that's right—they cannot meet the current requirements and have agreed to more stringent requirements, it sort of means that there is a commitment to reinvest and to ensure because we know that, under the current—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: I don't know what the cost is, but what I do know is the benefit that will arise not only from Nyrstar's perspective but also to the wonderful members, the constituents, of the member for Frome in that their health and wellbeing will be further enhanced—as will be the case for people who in the future live in Port Pirie—by the fact that operations will be in place that reduce the levels of lead being emitted to the air, and that clearly is a good thing.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bragg.

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