David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. Regis Resources has confirmed the Blayney gold mine is no longer viable following the minister's decision to block a critical part of the project against the advice of the legislated authority, the local Aboriginal land council. Why won't the minister release the statement of reasons for her decision that has jeopardised a $1 billion investment and some 800 jobs and creates sovereign risk which will see companies withdraw investment from Australia?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the Leader of the Nationals for his question. It's interesting that he suggested that the company doesn't believe that the project is viable, because the chairman has just bought 15,000 extra shares and one of the other directors has just bought more than 10,000 extra shares with his wife. The CEO and his wife, through Deckchair Trust, have bought more than 10,000 extra shares. But, just to be very clear here, I have not blocked the gold mine. What I've said is, of this 2½-thousand-hectare site, 400 hectares ought to be protected. I've done it on the basis of advice from the same group of traditional owners as the former minister for the environment—

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a different project.

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

Order! The Leader of the Nationals has asked his question.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the now Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and I want to table the picture of the former minister meeting with the same group of traditional owners. I made the same type of decision.

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

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is going to pause so I can hear from Leader of the Nationals.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a point of order on relevance. This was to a specific project and not the one the minister is talking about. There was no ask to compare and contrast. There are totally different reasonings around different projects and different cultural issues. So how can the minister be relevant?

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

In the question, she was asked about the process that she undertook and included, I heard, the traditional owners.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's for a different project.

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

Order! She's giving the reasons and talking about the project, so she is being directly relevant.

Opposition members interjecting—

Order! She's being directly relevant. I'm going to invite her now to return to the question.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the same principle—help me help you, okay? I'm trying to make sure the minister is being directly relevant because the leader's taken a question. I'm just going to ask her to return to the question.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the same group of traditional owners. I'm going to table the map that shows that the two projects are about 50 kilometres apart, about half an hour's drive. It's also the same type of decision. I made a declaration under the act in the same way that the previous minister did. That's a section 10 declaration, and I'll table that. I've made the decision for the same reasons that the former minister made hers—

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Table your statement of reasons!

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

Order! The Leader of the Nationals is going to cease interjecting.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll read to you from her press release: 'The decision acknowledges the cultural significance that this area has for the Wiradjuri people in contributing to local Aboriginal narratives, song lines, ceremonies and cultural heritage.' They are the same reasons.

I was asked about the reasoning, and I am explaining the reasoning. Just the fact that you don't like it—

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A statement of reasons is a document. Table it!

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and I've said to the company that I will provide them with the statement of reasons.

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

Order! We're going to deal with this. The minister's going to pause. The Leader of the Nationals is simply talking over the minister throughout the remainder of the answer. He's now warned. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is also warned. If the minister is not giving the answer you'd like, I get that. But she's being directly relevant to the question, talking about the reasons and talking about the issues, so we're not going to have any more interjections. The minister has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Nationals have asked about the statement of reasons. I've made it clear to the company that they'll get a statement of reasons. Just as the previous environment minister made this decision for the same reasons, based on advice from the same group for an area not 50 kilometres away, her decision was also not universally popular. In fact, when she made her decision, there was an ABC News article which said, from the mayor:

From my point of view, she's got it wrong …

We've done all the homework that we could, we've got all the advice … and I'm disappointed she didn't take that on notice …

I table that media report from the mayor of the time. Not everyone was happy with the reasons that were provided. Here is an article from the Western Advocate that also complained about her reasons. (Time expired)