Mike Elliott: Gammon Ranges National Park

Extract from Hansard

Legislative Council
27 September 2001

Mike Elliott
Leader Australian Democrats
Member of the Legislative Council

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The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney- General, representing the Minister for Minerals and Energy, a question about the Gammon Ranges National Park.

The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: The Gammon Ranges National Park was proclaimed in 1970 and is one of South Australia's most important and spectacular national parks. Subsequently, the Weetootla Gorge in the southern part of the park was added because of the significance of its ecosystems and the fact that it contained a large number of rare and endangered species. I note, for example, that the Weetootla Gorge is home to the yellow-footed rock wallaby. There has been some concern for many years that a mining lease held by BHP would see open-cut magnesite mining in Weetootla Gorge. This threat has occurred because most national parks in South Australia do not have a single proclamation as environmental protection zones but are subject to joint proclamation, which means that the environment minister can approve of mining at any time should he or she wish to do so.

Due to this concern, the Wilderness Society wrote to Minister Matthew on 2 March this year requesting information about the transfer of mining leases in the Gammon Ranges National Park. Some five months later, the Wilderness Society received a reply which did not address the substance of its request and which merely repeated what was already on the public record. Consequently, the Wilderness Society wrote a further letter on 4 September this year asking Minister Matthew to address the substance of the questions in that letter. What was put on the record in the letter from the minister was that BHP had made an application to transfer its mining leases in the Gammon Ranges to Manna Hill Resources and that this application was refused.

It did not address the issues of protecting the Gammon Ranges National Park by preventing new mining leases being issued in the future. At this time, the Wilderness Society is yet to receive a reply to the later letter. As a consequence, I ask the following questions which encapsulate the substance of the letter sent to Minister Matthew over six months ago:

1. Why were officers of PIRSA giving out incorrect or misleading information about the status of mining leases in the Gammon Ranges National Park?

3. What is PIRSA's understanding of the current status of mining leases in the Gammon Ranges National Park?

4. To the minister's knowledge, has Manna Hill Resources applied for new mining leases in the park?

5. Will the minister grant a moratorium on granting new mining leases in the park pending a full assessment of the wilderness quality of the area?

The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN (Attorney-General): I will refer the questions to my colleague in another place and bring back a reply.