Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence. Is the minister aware that field training exercises for Talisman Sabre 2007 have commenced and will continue until 2 July in Central Queensland’s Shoalwater Bay and that the Department of Defence website states that ‘environmental management is the No. 1 consideration’ during these defence exercises? Can the minister outline what measures the government has put in place to ensure that environmental damage does not occur in the Shoalwater Bay training area? What follow-up environmental assessments of the area to assess the impact of the exercises on the environment will the government conduct, including impacts on wildlife? Can the minister confirm and assure the Senate that depleted uranium will not be used in any munitions during this exercise? Has there been any study done of what the effects will be of firing fresh munitions into areas that had previously been bombarded by depleted uranium rounds?