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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1572 asked in the Legislative Council on 5 December 2019 by Hon Robin Scott

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

KANGAROO HILLS TIMBER RESERVE

1572. Hon ROBIN SCOTT to the minister representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:

I refer to the Kangaroo Hills Timber Reserve in the goldfields, an area that has a long history as a highly multi-mineralised zone that is suitable for exploration and mining.

(1) Over how many years have mining tenements existed and been granted in the Kangaroo Hills Timber Reserve to allow exploration and mining to take place?

(2) How many mining tenements—including any prospecting licences, exploration licences and mining leases, both current and pending—are currently located within the Kangaroo Hills Timber Reserve?

(3) Can the minister explain why the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety is supporting the reserve becoming a state forest, which would preclude the continuation of any exploration and mining activity?

(4) Can the minister outline any specific concerns that tenement holders and applicants have raised with the department about proposals to declare the reserve as a state forest?

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I thank the member for the question. The Minister for Mines and Petroleum has provided the following information.

(1) Tenements have been granted over the Kangaroo Hills Timber Reserve since 1894.

(2) There are 23 live and pending mining tenements intersecting the Kangaroo Hills Timber Reserve.

(3) The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety does not have a position on the reservation status of the area. In 2016, DMIRS provided preliminary comments noting that the proposed state forest could be considered, provided access levels be maintained and the consent to mine process be addressed prior to the creation of the state forest.

(4) Concerns have been raised about the need to renegotiate section 24 Mining Act access if the proposed state forest was created and that no access would be available until such time as the consent to mine is granted by the Minister for Mines and Petroleum via the consultation process stipulated in the Mining Act.