ouch..time to hit 50 below the belt

Parliamentary Question

Minister Representing: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Question No: 4956
Portfolio: State Development Question Date: 19/06/2007
Year: 2007 Answer Date:
Parliament: 37 Question Type: Question On Notice
Session Number: 1 Asked By: Hon Giz Watson
Chamber: Council Tabled Paper No:

Question:

On 29 May 2007, the Parliamentary Secretary Representing the Minister for State Development, stated that, ‘The Government and its Agencies have been communicating in recent months with United Mineral Corporation (UMC) and other parties in the course of normal operations to provide information that is on the public record in relation to the status of the occupancy rights to Temporary Reserve 70/5610H (TR) at the Mitchell Plateau and certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR’, and I ask -
(1) In relation to UMC, on what date did the Government or its Agencies first have communications with UMC and/or its associated entities (UMC) in relation to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR?

(2) Can the Minister please table the communications has he had between the Government or its Agencies with UMC in relation to the TR?

(3) If no to (2), to the extent that the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to UMC?

(4) To the extent that the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to UMC?

(5) In relation to Norsk Hydro and/or its associated entities (Hydro), has the Government or its Agencies had direct communications with Hydro in relation to the TR?

(6) If yes to (5), with whom and on what date did these communications first take place?

(7) If yes to (5), with whom and on what other dates have these communications taken place?

(8) Can the Minister please table the communications had between the Government or its Agencies with Hydro in relation to the TR?

(9) If no to (8), to the extent that the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Hydro?

(10) To the extent that the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Hydro?

(11) What was the earliest date on which the Government or its Agencies first became aware of Hydro’s potential interest in a bauxite and alumina development in the Kimberley region?

(12) How did the Government and/or its Agencies first become aware of Hydro’s potential interest in a bauxite and alumina development in the Kimberley region?

(13) The Norwegian Government holds approximately 43.8 percent of the issued capital of Hydro and up to 49.9 percent of the voting rights in that company. The Norwegian Government is also reported to hold a stabilization reserve valued at around US$300B (Bloomberg 2007). The INPEX Maret Islands gas development is forecast to come into production by end 2012/ start 2013. Does the Government believe that these considerations make the UMC/ Hydro development far more likely to proceed than the many previous development proposals bauxite/ alumina proposals that have been put forward for the Mitchell Plateau/North Kimberley?

(14) In relation to BHP Billiton and/or its associated entities (BHP Billiton), has the Government or its Agencies had direct communications with BHP Billiton in relation to the TR since 30 June 2006?

(15) If yes to (14), with whom and on what dates?

(16) If yes to (14), what was the date of the most recent communication and with whom was that communication with?

(17) If yes to (14), can the Minister please table the communications between the Government or its Agencies and BHP Billiton in relation to the TR?

(18) If no to (17), to the extent that the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to BHP Billiton?

(19) To the extent that the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to BHP Billiton?

(20) In relation to Chalco and/or its associated entities, has the Government or its Agencies had direct communications with Chalco in relation to the TR since 30 June 2006?

(21) If yes to (20), with whom and on what dates?

(22) If yes to (20), what was the date of the most recent communication and with whom was that communication with?

(23) If yes to (20), can the Minister please table the communications between the Government or its Agencies and Chalco in relation to the TR?

(24) If no to (23), to the extent that the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Chalco?

(25) To the extent that the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Chalco?

(26) In relation to Hindalco of India and/or its associated entities (Hindalco), has the Government or its agencies had direct communications with Hindalco in relation to the TR since 30 June 2006?

(27) If yes to (26), with whom and on what dates?

(28) If yes to (26), what was the date of the most recent communication and with whom was that communication with?

(29) If yes to (26), can the Minister please table the communications between the Government or its Agencies and Hindalco in relation to the TR?

(30) If no to (29), to the extent that the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Hindalco?

(31) To the extent that the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Hindalco?

(32) In relation to United Co. Rusal and/or its associated entities, has the Government or its Agencies had direct communications with Rusal in relation to the TR since 30 June 2006?

(33) If yes to (32), with whom and on what dates?

(34) If yes to (32), what was the date of the most recent communication and with whom was that communication with?

(35) If yes to (32), can the Minister please table the communications between the Government or its Agencies and Rusal in relation to the TR?

(36) If no to (35), to the extent that the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Rusal?

(37) To the extent that the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Rusal?

(38) In relation to Alcan Bauxite and/or its associated entities, has the Government or its Agencies had direct communications with Alcan in relation to the TR since 30 June 2006?

(39) If yes to (38), with whom and on what dates?

(40) If yes to (38), what was the date of the most recent communication and with whom was that communication had?

(41) If yes to (38), can the Minister please table the communications between the Government or its Agencies and Alcan in relation to the TR?

(42) If no to (41), to the extent that the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Alcan?

(43) To the extent that the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to Alcan?

(44) Are there any other parties, not referred to in the above questions, with which the Government or its Agencies has had communications in relation to the TR since 30 June 2006?

(45) If yes to (44), with whom and on what dates?

(46) If yes to (44), what was the date of the most recent communication and with whom was that communication with?

(47) If yes to (44), can the Minister please table the communications between the Government or its Agencies and each of the parties mentioned in (45), in relation to the TR?

(48) If no to (47), and the communications have related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR, can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to each of the parties mentioned in (45)?

(49) If the communications have not related to the status of the occupancy rights to the TR and/or certain public record geological data pertaining to the resources within the TR (but have related to bauxite mining and/or alumina developments in the Kimberley region), can the Minister please provide a detailed overview as to what the Government and or its Agencies have communicated to each of the parties mentioned in (45)?

(50) What are the proportionate beneficial ownership interests of the Mitchell Plateau Joint Venture, as split between Rio Tinto and Alcoa of Australia?