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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-11-16 Daily Xml
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Motions

Witjira National Park

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (16:35): I move:

That this council requests Her Excellency the Governor to make a proclamation under section 43(4) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 to vary the proclamation made under sections 28 and 43 of that act on 21 November 1985 constituting, and preserving mining rights in, Witjira National Park, so as to remove all rights of entry, prospecting, exploration or mining pursuant to a mining act (within the meaning of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972) in respect of the following portion of that park: the area enclosed by a line joining the following points of latitude and longitude (GDA2020) consecutively:

26.470786S 135.425108E 26.463086S 135.424808E 26.455686S 135.425708E
26.448086S 135.428108E 26.441386S 135.431408E 26.434886S 135.431108E
26.427886S 135.427608E 26.422186S 135.425908E 26.416286S 135.425108E
26.393086S 135.425508E 26.387386S 135.426308E 26.382786S 135.427208E
26.377186S 135.429308E 26.371886S 135.432108E 26.351586S 135.447508E
26.347186S 135.451808E 26.331485S 135.472708E 26.327485S 135.479108E
26.324885S 135.485008E 26.322985S 135.491208E 26.322085S 135.495708E
26.318385S 135.501108E 26.314985S 135.508208E 26.312685S 135.514408E
26.311085S 135.522408E 26.310685S 135.528908E 26.311485S 135.562308E
26.313485S 135.571908E 26.310685S 135.577908E 26.318685S 135.583608E
26.322185S 135.588908E 26.326385S 135.593508E 26.331085S 135.597508E
26.338785S 135.602208E 26.347285S 135.605108E 26.353185S 135.606008E
26.359085S 135.606008E 26.363385S 135.605408E 26.368585S 135.624608E
26.370785S 135.630608E 26.373685S 135.636308E 26.377285S 135.641608E
26.383685S 135.648308E 26.391185S 135.653508E 26.396685S 135.656108E
26.402385S 135.657808E 26.408185S 135.658708E 26.414085S 135.658708E
26.419985S 135.657908E 26.428485S 135.655108E 26.433785S 135.652208E
26.438685S 135.648608E 26.443186S 135.644308E 26.447086S 135.639408E
26.450386S 135.634008E 26.454086S 135.625008E 26.455586S 135.618708E
26.456386S 135.612208E 26.456486S 135.605608E 26.455685S 135.599108E
26.453485S 135.589908E 26.457185S 135.588408E 26.461885S 135.585908E
26.467385S 135.581908E 26.476185S 135.574008E 26.480385S 135.569308E
26.491785S 135.569708E 26.510585S 135.575608E 26.520085S 135.577408E
26.528985S 135.577108E 26.534785S 135.575808E 26.543285S 135.572308E
26.550385S 135.568408E 26.557685S 135.563308E 26.562085S 135.559008E
26.566085S 135.554108E 26.572485S 135.544308E 26.576685S 135.535608E
26.578685S 135.529408E 26.580085S 135.519708E 26.580185S 135.500708E
26.579285S 135.492908E 26.577185S 135.485408E 26.574285S 135.478808E
26.571085S 135.473308E 26.566185S 135.467308E 26.560685S 135.462408E
25.555885S 135.459008E 26.559885S 135.449308E 26.561085S 135.440908E
26.561085S 135.432908E 26.559785S 135.425808E 26.556785S 135.417608E
26.552886S 135.410908E 26.546886S 135.404208E 26.539386S 135.398608E
26.531286S 135.394708E 26.523086S 135.392708E 26.514886S 135.392208E
26.507086S 135.393108E 26.499986S 135.395208E 26.492686S 135.398908E
26.485786S 135.404108E 26.480086S 135.410508E 26.474386S 135.418808E


then directly to the point of commencement. The spatial descriptions are based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia (GDA2020).

The purpose of this motion is to vary the proclamation of Witjira National Park so as to remove all rights of entry for prospecting, exploration or mining pursuant to a mining act within the meaning of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in respect of the land referred to as the Dalhousie Springs national heritage area as defined by the GPS coordinates in the notice of motion.

Dalhousie Springs national heritage area in Witjira National Park is both environmentally and culturally significant. As the only permanent water source for 150 kilometres, the springs are a significant refuge for a number of plants and animals. Due to the springs' isolation, many of these plants and animals have evolved into distinct species that are not found anywhere else in the world.

Given the environmental sensitivity of the national heritage area, it has been managed collaboratively by the Department for Environment and Water and the Department for Energy and Mining since 2009 to restrict exploration and mining access. This variation to the proclamation of Witjira National Park will formalise this arrangement to remove mining rights, including exploration, from 50,000 hectares of incredibly significant land in the national heritage area.

Witjira National Park is co-managed with the Wangkangurru and Lower Southern Arrernte and native title holders of the land. The Irrwanyere Aboriginal Corporation represents both of these groups, who support formalising a no-mining policy position due to the density of cultural sites in the Dalhousie Springs national heritage area. The Witjira National Park co-management board were consulted, as required under the co-management agreement. Both Irrwanyere Aboriginal Corporation and the co-management board are supportive of the proposed changes.

The Tri-Star energy company currently have two petroleum exploration licence applications over the Dalhousie Springs area. The boundaries of these applications will be varied once mining has been excluded from the area.

Subject to the resolution of this house, Her Excellency the Governor will be requested to vary the proclamation of Witjira National Park to remove rights of access under South Australian mining legislation from the area, defined as the Dalhousie Springs national heritage area, pursuant to sections 43(2), 43(4), 43(5)(c) and 43(6) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. I commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (16:37): I rise today, and I will be very brief and say that the opposition will be supporting this motion.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (16:38): I also rise in support of the bill on behalf of the Greens. We welcome the government taking this action, and we take on face value the commitments the government has made in terms of commitments to the environment. Obviously, it is our view that we would prefer to see no mining at all in these areas. That is certainly the position of the Greens. But we do welcome the step that has been taken in this instance and we will be supporting it.

Motion carried.

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