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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-29 Daily Xml
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SILICA DUST AND MINING

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mineral Resources Development questions about silica dust and mining.

Leave granted.

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH: On Saturday 24 October, Premier Mike Rann announced plans to amend the dust diseases regulations, which provide a greater opportunity for sufferers of asbestos-related diseases to bring claims for damages, by moving the date of claim back from 1971 to 1960.

The Dust Diseases Act relates only to diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. There are mounting concerns about the health effects of other dust-related diseases, such as silicosis, and these are generally associated with mining. The state of California, which sets the international standards, earlier this year (in February) classified crystalline silica as a toxic air contaminant. The state of California identified asbestos as a toxic air contaminant under California's Air Toxics Program in 1986.

In 2005, a Senate inquiry was held into, amongst other things, the effects of silicosis on the Australian population. There are community campaigns in different locations in Australia—there is one in the Somersby Plateau on the central New South Wales coast—based on concerns about mining of crystalline silica. In Angaston, South Australia, there are concerns about silica dust emanating from the operation of the Penrice mine, which has led two families that I know of to leave the immediate area because of concerns about the health effects on their children. My questions are:

1. Is the minister aware of growing concerns about silica dust related to mining?

2. Is the minister aware of concerns in Angaston about silica dust related to the operation of the Penrice mine?

3. Can the minister inform the council whether any consideration has been given to broadening the scope of the Dust Diseases Act so that it covers diseases other than those caused by exposure to asbestos?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:58): Issues of the working conditions of miners are, of course, covered by SafeWork SA. Unlike some other states, the responsibility for workplace safety and occupational health and safety is not within the mining department: it is actually within SafeWork SA, which essentially has responsibility for those conditions.

In relation to the latter question asked by the honourable member regarding Penrice: yes, I have had meetings with some of the residents about Penrice, and we have been following the intervention of PIRSA in relation to the operations. A Penrice mine community consultative group has been set up to work through some of those issues with the Penrice representatives, and that process is ongoing.

There have been concerns relating to a number of issues, including noise and also dust and, as a result of that, various interventions have been made by the authorities, not just Primary Industries and Resources but also the EPA. As I understand it, the EPA has been conducting some noise monitoring and also, I believe, dust monitoring in the area to ensure that the levels of any dust comply with the relevant standards. So, the monitoring of that particular site is ongoing.

As I understand, silicosis is particularly a problem within the coal mining area. Within our major mines, if you go to Olympic Dam, you will see that there are quite complex systems to ensure the safety of workers in that area, for such things as ventilation, for example, where doors close off and the pressure is adjusted and so on to ensure that dust is not an issue within those mines. There is also close monitoring of that process, as we would expect. As I have mentioned, SafeWork SA is diligent in ensuring that there is compliance with those standards. In relation to the latter part of the question about the Dust Diseases Act, that is really a matter for my colleague. I will refer that part of the question to my colleague in another place and bring back a reply.

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