asx release legal action, page-23

re PIRSA's return -

Legislative Council

QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE: Marathon Resources' mining activities in Arkaroola Sanctuary

February 26th, 2008

On the 26th of February Mark asked the Minister for Mineral Resources Development a question and a supplementary question about Marathon Resources.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: The government has announced an indefinite suspension of the licence held by Marathon Resources to explore the sensitive and iconic Mount Gee area within the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. This was in response to the confirmation by PIRSA of a significant breach by Marathon of the operating conditions of its licence. In justifying the decision to suspend rather than cancel the exploration licence, the government has argued that the licence needs to remain in place so that Marathon can be required to undertake rehabilitation at the site. Yet it is clear that the company believes the suspension is only a temporary setback.

The government has failed, in media statements and in answer to my question here two weeks ago, to rule out the option that Marathon Resources will be allowed to resume its operations once the clean-up is complete. My question of the minister is: will you now confirm, once and for all, that when the clean-up by the company is complete its exploration licence will be cancelled? Or, in the alternative, can you guarantee that the suspension of that licence will remain until the exploration licence expires naturally in October 2009?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development): The investigation in relation to the Marathon company is still ongoing, and until that is completed I am not prepared to make any final statement. This government certainly has no intention of allowing Marathon Resources to resume activities in the foreseeable future; however, any final decision will obviously have to wait until all investigations are complete.