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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-28 Daily Xml
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MARATHON RESOURCES

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:27): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement in relation to Mount Gee in the Northern Flinders Ranges.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Primary Industries and Resources SA and the Environmental Protection Authority have recently finalised their assessment of rectification work following breaches of the licence conditions pertaining to Exploration Licence 3258, held by Bonanza Gold and operated by Marathon Resources. I table the Closure Report (Independent Verification of Rectification Works EL3258). This report is now available online from the PIRSA website.

PIRSA, in consultation with the EPA, is now satisfied that rectification works have been completed in accordance with the approved Rectification Plan and Formal Notification. All general waste recovered from Hodgkinson, Mount Gee West and Mount Gee East sites have been removed from the exploration lease, and radiation screening has indicated that all general waste was non-radioactive. Radiation surveys conducted prior to excavation and post-rectification works confirmed that radiation levels have not changed. All mineral samples, including the mildly radioactive samples, were safely removed from bags and drums and reburied under two metres of clean and compacted soil within the same or similar geological and soil formations.

Marathon's activities on this exploration lease brought to light some deficiencies in compliance and enforcement provisions of the Mining Act 1971 that need to be strengthened. In the coming months, I will be giving notice of proposed amendments to the Mining Act. As indicated to this council previously, the government will not contemplate any further ground disturbing activity by Marathon Resources on Exploration Licence 3258, at least until that legislation is in place.

The Northern Flinders Ranges has high scenic, environmental and ecotourism values, but equally high prospectivity for copper, gold, uranium and other metals. The area is also now recognised for having high prospectivity for the development of geothermal energy. The challenge for Marathon Resources—in fact, for all explorers in this region—is to show how the mineral and energy resources can be extracted from this region in a manner that preserves the environmental and scenic values.

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