Question Without Notice No. 126 asked in the Legislative Council on 22 March 2018 by Hon Colin Tincknell
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
GOGO STATION — IRRIGATION
126. Hon COLIN TINCKNELL to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
Gogo Station is currently planning a major expansion of irrigated agriculture. However, the proposed irrigation area sits downstream from the former Pilbara iron and zinc mine that is listed as a contaminated site and is known to be leaching thallium and heavy metals.
(1) Has the department conducted testing of the thallium and heavy metals in the soil at Gogo Station?
(2) If so —
(a) what were the outcomes;
(b) can the department provide a copy of the assessment;
(c) is the contamination of soil and water a health risk for people living on, or growing food on, the station; and
(d) could future irrigated crops, or beef fed from irrigated crops, be contaminated at unsafe levels?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I am acting in the place of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and, unfortunately, there has been no answer to that question provided in her file. We will get our people to look at that and see where it might be. Sorry.