Jobs At Risk In Mining Bungle

The Territory Opposition are demanding a complete explanation, from the Martin Government, of all the circumstances surrounding the overturning of the approval of the expansion of the McArthur River mine.

"It looks like incompetence to have such a major development halted, in the courts, on an administrative error,” says Fay Miller, Shadow Mines and Energy spokesperson.

"The Minister's Department should have checked that the application was in order before he signed it off.

"The question is how did this mistake get through an entire department?

"Unfortunately there's no great surprise, this being just the latest in a string of Government mistakes relating to the proposed expansion of the mine.

"From the outset the Government has lacked the requisite professionalism on this matter.

"It dithered for years whilst it tried to decide whether to approve the expansion of the mine.

"The economic benefits to the Territory's economy over the long term should have made the green light for expansion a straightforward decision for the Labor Government.

"Now it would appear that 1700 – direct and indirect –jobs have been put at risk and some $13 billion worth of economic benefits over the next 25 years is in doubt.”

2007-04-30