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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-15 Daily Xml
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INCITEC PIVOT

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the leader of government business questions on the future of the Incitec Pivot plant at Port Adelaide.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: In response to a series of leaks of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals from processing plants in New South Wales at the end of 2011, the New South Wales EPA commenced a systematic audit of 40 premises that pose a high environmental risk in that state, including oil refineries, chemical processing plants, large chemical and gas storage depots and large chemical warehouses. The results of those audits have just been published and reveal a number of concerning breaches at Incitec Pivot's plants.

Incitec Pivot's agricultural phosphate fertiliser storage and distribution facility on Kooragang Island, for example, committed a code red violation by failing to use monitoring data from its fertiliser storage area to reduce potential environmental impacts. At Incitec Pivot's ammonia storage facility at Moree, there were breaches involving inadequate controls in place to manage a spill of ammonia into the air when the site is unattended.

Members would be aware that Incitec Pivot operates an ammonia plant in Port Adelaide. In late 2010, the controversial Newport Quays Dock 1 residential development was abandoned after a SafeWork SA report, revealed by the Greens under the Freedom of Information Act, documented the enormous risk to Port Adelaide residents from an explosion or the release of toxic gas from the site. At the time, the then minister for urban development and planning (Hon. Paul Holloway) said that the state government was working with Incitec Pivot to relocate the company by 2012. My questions are:

1. What is the state of negotiations with Incitec Pivot to relocate its plant away from Port Adelaide residents?

2. Will the government meet its deadline of shifting the plant by 2012 and, if not, why not?

3. Where will the plant be shifted to?

4. When was the last time the South Australian EPA audited the Port Adelaide Incitec Pivot plant for compliance with its licence conditions or other environmental requirements?

5. In light of the concerning breaches of safe chemical handling at Incitec Pivot plants in New South Wales, will the EPA now conduct a similar audit at the Incitec Pivot plant in Port Adelaide?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his important questions. They relate to matters that are outside my portfolios, as I am sure the honourable member well knows. Most of the matters involve the EPA, which of course is the responsibility for the minister for the environment, so I will refer those to the minister in another place and bring back a response.

I would imagine also that it is likely that it is Environment that is participating in the negotiations around plant relocation. I would assume so, but in case it does involve any other agency or crosses any other ministerial responsibilities from another place, I am happy to say that I will refer those matters to the relevant minister in another place and bring back a response.

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