Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 1645 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 September 2018 by Hon Robin Chapple

Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to Gogo Station in the Kimberley whose lease is owned by Malcolm Harris and Ken Harris, and ask:
(a) has any of the water being used to irrigate the land subject to the diversification permits on Gogo Station been taken from sources which may have been contaminated;
(b) will the Minister detail the precise locations of where water was extracted from for the purposes of irrigating the land subject to the diversification permits;
(c) if no to (b), why not;
(d) has any contaminated surface water flowed into Gogo Station land outside of the Pillara mining tenements;
(e) if no to (d), what evidence does the Minister have to show this is not the case;
(f) when were the owners of the Gogo Station pastoral lease made aware of the potential for contaminants including highly toxic thallium, arsenic and other heavy metals on their lease;
(g) have the Gooniyandi Traditional Owners been made aware of the contaminated site on their country;
(h) if no to (g), why not;
(i) if yes to (g), when were they informed and by whom;
(j) have the residents of Joy Springs been made aware of the contaminated site;
(k) if no to (j), why not;
(l) if yes to (j), when were they informed and by whom;
(m) have the residents of Muludja been made aware of the contaminated site;
(n) if no to (m), why not; and
(o) if yes to (m), when were they informed and by whom?

Answered on 17 October 2018

(a) Water used to irrigate sorghum crops at Gogo Station is drawn from a dam and from two groundwater abstraction bores. Annual water sampling data submitted in compliance with the groundwater licence conditions shows the groundwater abstraction bores do not appear to have been affected by contamination.

The dam is fed by rainfall runoff, and at certain times of the year some water from the former Pillara lead and zinc mine northern vent rise. Water from the northern vent rise is known to be contaminated. Water in the dam was tested as part of the recent Detailed Site Investigation report (tabled on 30 August 2018 in response to Question on Notice No. 1435 – see tabled paper no. 1704). After reviewing the report and seeking advice from the Department of Health and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) considers that there does not appear to be a risk to human health or beef cattle, based on current agricultural activities.

(b) The coordinates of the licensed groundwater abstraction bores are shown below. Four bores are licensed but abstraction is from two bores only, A2 and A3.

Bore

Northing

Easting

Depth

Water Levels (m bql) 29/09/10

N1

7974478

792762

138

7.40

A1

7974029

792663

134

8.90

A2

7972088

792155

143

12.25

A3

7974920

792586

108

7.10

The location of the two abstraction bores is also shown on Figure 5 of the Detailed Site Investigation report (see tabled paper 1704) as “Pivot 1” and “Pivot 2”, and the dam is visible on that figure (to the east of “Pivot 2”).

(c) Not applicable.

(d) Yes. For this reason, part of Gogo Station (north of the tailings storage facility) was classified as contaminated – remediation required under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 on 27 October 2015. Following the DWER’s review of the recent Detailed Site Investigation report, the classification was confirmed and the Department’s records updated on 1 August 2018.

(e) Not applicable.

(f) On 1 November 2013, the then Department of Environment Regulation (now DWER) first notified the Gogo Station pastoral leaseholders that groundwater at the Pillara mine site was suspected to be contaminated by heavy metals and was discharging to the surface. This followed the site having been reported as a suspected contaminated site under section 11 of the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 on 30 October 2013. DWER understands that the mining tenement holder and the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety had already been in contact with Gogo Station about water quality prior to 1 November 2013. DWER maintains regular contact and correspondence with Gogo Station.

(g) Yes.

(h) Not applicable.

(i) The Gooniyandi Traditional Owners were first notified of the mine site’s classification under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 by DWER on 17 April 2015. Since then, DWER has notified the Traditional Owners each time the classification was updated. Gooniyandi representatives attended a site visit in November 2016 with the environmental consultant and supervised soil and water sampling, as documented in the Detailed Site Investigation.

(j-l) DWER has not consulted directly with the residents of Joy Springs on this issue. Joy Springs is 7 km west of the classified area, and the Department has no data or modelling to suggest contamination associated with the former Pillara Lead and Zinc mine poses a risk to the community’s drinking water supply, which is drawn from groundwater bores close to the community. The Department of Communities arranges periodic testing of the drinking water supply, and reports the results to the Department of Health in accordance with agreed protocols.

(m-o) DWER has not consulted directly with the residents of Muludja on this issue. Muludja is 13 km north of the classified area. The Department has no data or modelling to suggest contamination associated with the former Pillara Lead and Zinc mine poses a risk to the community’s drinking water supply, which is drawn from groundwater bores close to the community.  The Department of Communities arranges periodic testing of the drinking water supply and reports the results to the Department of Health in accordance with agreed protocols.