So can the greens - lol. There's political and pr considerations...

So can the greens - lol. There's political and pr considerations as well here. An election coming up with green issues at the centre of debate.


Greens want to end Olympic Dam's special treatment

The Greens will move in the South Australian Parliament to scrap exemptions to state laws given to BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine in outback SA.

Greens MLC Mark Parnell will introduce a private member's bill to remove the mining company's exemptions from laws on Aboriginal heritage, environment protection and natural resource management.

He says the exemptions were granted 25 years ago and times have changed.

Mr Parnell says he is also concerned that BHP Billiton is not bound by the same water use laws as other companies, giving it an unfair advantage.

"I think that there are certainly problems with water resources. This mine does not have to comply with the same regime as everyone else and they're also not bound by the same pollution laws that other companies have to operate under," he said.

"If the company is as good as the Government says then there should be no problem in removing these special exemptions.

"I think now that the only fair way is to make sure that all industrial players in this state operate under the same rules. You shouldn't have special rules for your favourite companies and other laws for the rest."

A spokesman for BHP Billiton says the indenture legislation does not allow the company to evade its legal obligations and the Olympic Dam mine is the most intensively regulated operation in SA.