Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I have the time of the House for the miners at Cloncurry. Our miners create three-quarters of Australia's income. Mining is an intrinsically dangerous occupation. I represent Mount Mulligan, where 72 human beings ceased to exist in 15 seconds—the entire male population of the town. Twenty three died in 15 seconds at Mount Leyshon, at Charters Towers, where I live, where my son worked in the mines. Near my home town of Cloncurry, where I once was a miner myself, Dylan Langridge and Trevor Davis are the two boys trapped underground in Cloncurry's Dugald River mine.

In such times when I face darkness I turn to Slim Dusty and Stan Coster's very sad song: 'When life's going easy God is far from our mind, but when the bad things and sad things darken our day, we call out to Jesus in a most selfish way.' I ask for the parliament to give one minute of prayer and reflection for these Australian boys in the gravest of danger.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I pay tribute to the member for Kennedy for the work that he does as a local member and for the passion that he has for the community in Cloncurry, which I've visited with him on no less than three occasions over the years. These two men are missing some 125 metres underground at a zinc mine in Dugald River some 70 kilometres north-west of Curry. Dylan Langridge and Trevor Davis are in our thoughts at this time, as are all of their family and their friends. I know that the Australian Workers Union are talking with the workers on site, and this will be a difficult day for all who work in what is a difficult and sometimes dangerous occupation.

The men's ute fell into a large void at the zinc mine at about 8.45 yesterday morning. Their ute fell into the void after a 30-tonne drill rig fell 25 metres. The mine is run by MMG Ltd. Another worker was injured when the rig fell, but I am advised that he is stable.

At this time our thoughts are with the family of these two men and also with all the people of Curry. I know what a close knit community Curry is—everyone knows everyone in that town—and our thoughts are with them today.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to say thank you very much to the member for Kennedy for raising this issue in the parliament. Everybody has been watching anxiously and waiting—hoping and praying for a miracle—in relation to these two men. I commend the Prime Minister for his very generous and warm words.

The mine has about 500 workers and they'll all be incredibly anxious. Family members in the local community, and, obviously, the family members of Trevor and Dylan, will be beside themselves. The work of the emergency services is always to run towards the danger, not away from it and, in people's hours of darkness, they know that those emergency workers will be doing everything humanly possible to find the miracle that we all hope and pray for.

I am reminded, of course, of the miracle that we saw in Beaconsfield, and I acknowledge Bill Shorten's efforts, and those of many others, in Tasmania in 2006. But it does look dire, and it's a reminder of the dangerous work that is undertaken in a very significant industry and sector within our community. On behalf of the opposition, I want to send our thoughts and prayers to the families and to the community in Dugald River, Cloncurry and the surrounding areas. We are all hoping for the best possible outcome, but fearing the worst.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask all present to rise in their place to show our support for the missing miners.

All m embers present stood, in silence.