Friday, 29 June, 2007

by Julia Christensen
ABC Darwin Radio

How would you feel about a processing plant in Darwin Harbour churning out uranium. There are reports today that Arafura Resources plans to build a $300 million mill in Darwin to process ore from their Nolan's bore field near Alice Springs, and that ore will contain uranium which Alistair Stevens reportedly says is a by-product but would be irresponsible not to process into yellowcake along with the other minerals. Now we haven't yet been able to contanct Alistair Stevens, but Opposition Leader Jodeen Carney has some concerns about where this plant may go, she's worried that it may end up at Middle Point in Darwin Harbour and she put some questions to the Government in Estimates last night.

REPTR Jodeen Carney good morning.

CARNEY Good morning Julia.

REPTR What do you know about this proposal?

CARNEY Only what is publicly available, we know that an application is before the Mines Minister. We asked the Minister responsible for the Land Development Corporation, Kon Vatskalis last night whether he knew about this proposal, he was a little vague. But the most important point was that he said that he would not rule Glyde Point in or out. The reason that's so interesting Julia is that only a week or so ago the Chief Minister in the Parliament said that they've been doing some consultations in relation to the creating Darwin's future program and she was at pains to say that the people of Darwin were saying leave Glyde Point alone. That is significant because the only other place it can be is at Middle Arm, in other words, in Darwin Harbour. My position is that if I were chief minister I would not allow a processing plant to occur in Darwin Harbour.

REPTR Why not?

CARNEY Glyde Point was initially established for industrial development, it's appropriate it goes there. And I'm not sure that as we're sitting at the wharf enjoying our fish and chips that we necessarily want to see a
processing plant.

REPTR But isn't this a case of not in my back yard? I mean if this is done with the proper restrictions, it wouldn't truly matter where it was.

CARNEY Look I think it does because Glyde Point in our view is a much more appropriate site. I don't think that anyone would argue that the physical appearance of this sort of industrial development is ever aesthetically
pleasing, and as I say, eating your fish and chips and looking out on the harbour should be a very pleasant experience. So I think whilst I'm supportive, very supportive of development and mining development, Glyde Point is
the place to go. We have the opportunity to question the Mines Minister Chris Natt later this morning and we'll be asking him, I understand that the Minister for Lands and Planning, Delia Lawrie, when I put this question to her yesterday, she didn't know about the proposal. I'm wondering whether there might be some discontent and perhaps some disunity within the Government about where a processing plant like this should go. And it was a little worrying that Kon Vatskalis wouldn't rule it in or out, but only a week ago the Chief Minister was basically saying, well no, nothing is going to happen at Glyde Point, which means Middle Arm.

REPTR I'm wondering why it wouldn't be processed on site at the mine as they do at Ranger, would that not be a better option?

CARNEY From the information I've seen Julia, the proposal is to bring it to Darwin for processing. It's obviously, you know, not for me to say well you shouldn't do that, that's the proposal as I understand it presently and it's obviously a matter that the Government will need to deal with. I would have thought though Julia that given the publicity that has been given to this matter that the Chief Minister or another senior Minister might have come out and said one way or the other what the Government's position is on this. The fact that they haven't done so presumably means that they're still thinking about it, which then in turn means that it is possible that we will have a processing plant in Darwin Harbour.