Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Resources and Energy, upon notice, on 20 November 2012:

(1) Has the Minister for Resources and Energy, Mr Martin Ferguson, visited the Muckaty Land Trust in the Northern Territory:

(a) if so: (i) when did this occur, (ii) at whose invitation, (iii) with whom did the Minister meet, (iv) who accompanied the Minister on the trip, (v) did the Minister meet with any Muckaty Traditional Owners or representatives of the Northern Land Council to discuss the proposal for a national radioactive waste dump at Muckaty, and (vi) can the Minister provide notes or records arising from the meetings; and

(b) if not, why did the Deputy Secretary of the department recently state at a presentation at St Ignatius College, Riverview in Sydney, that the Minister has visited the Muckaty Land Trust.

(2) If an alternative site is nominated on the Muckaty Land Trust to be assessed for a national nuclear waste facility, will a site assessment comparable to that previously undertaken by Parsons Brinckerhoff, which examined four sites in the Northern Territory, be required.

(3) Has any work been done to prepare a tender for assessment of an alternative site at Muckaty or elsewhere.

(4) Has preparation of a tender and award of a contract been budgeted; if so, how much would this cost and what timeframes are being considered.

(5) Can the Minister provide all correspondence with the Northern Land Council (NLC) relating to the proposed additional site to be nominated on the Muckaty Land Trust.

(6) Has the department engaged in any formal or informal discussions or consultations about other potential sites outside of the Muckaty Land Trust for a national radioactive waste facility.

(7) Was a meeting convened by the NLC on the Muckaty Land Trust on Wednesday, 7 November 2012, to discuss a proposed new site for a national radioactive waste dump.

(8) Which Commonwealth officers attended the meeting, who invited them and what was the purpose of their attendance.

(9) Were Northern Territory police stationed at the turnoff to Muckaty Station as people arrived to attend the meeting; if so:

(a) were the Commonwealth officers aware prior to their arrival that the police would be there;

(b) what was the rationale for the deployment of police; and

(c) who requested the police to be present.

(10) Is it standard practice for police resources to be deployed around a community meeting.

(11) Can copies be provided of:

(a) the invitation given to the Minister or department to attend the meeting; and

(b) any presentation notes that were delivered or distributed to people at the meeting.

(12) What was the outcome of the meeting.

(13) What follow-up actions have been undertaken or committed to by any federal officers or agencies.

(14) Did the NLC provide the Commonwealth with information about who had been invited to, and/or was in attendance at, the meeting.

(15) Did the Minister or departmental officers request the:

(a) attendance; and

(b) non-attendance, of particular people; if so, who.

(16) Given that the NLC Principal Legal Officer, Mr Ron Levy, indicated at a press conference on Crab Claw Island on Tuesday, 13 November 2012, that a specific site is known to the NLC, was the specific site for an alternative or additional nomination discussed at the 7 November 2012 meeting on the Muckaty Land Trust; if so, was the alternate site referred to with a name or geographical location.

(17) Can the Minister provide the precise geographical location of the proposed location of the alternative site referred to by Mr Levy.

(18) Has an assessment been made of the impact any further site nomination on the Muckaty Land Trust would have on the current Federal Court action contesting the current site nomination; if so, can the assessment be provided.

(19) Has the Commonwealth Government attended or been notified of any other meetings convened by the NLC to discuss the proposed nomination of an additional site on the Muckaty Land Trust; if so, can any written or electronic correspondence from the NLC with regard to these meetings be provided by the department.

(20) Is the department aware of any future consultation meetings planned regarding the proposed additional site.

(21) Has the Minister or department discussed with the NLC granting West Banka Banka Station as Aboriginal land as a benefit for nominating an additional site on the Muckaty Land Trust for a national nuclear waste facility.

(22) Can the department provide all correspondence and notes relating to compensation for any additional site nomination made on the Muckaty Land Trust or any alternate site.

(23) What is the relationship between Traditional Owners of West Banka Banka Station and Traditional Owners of the Muckaty Land Trust.