Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Cormann. I refer to the spillage over the weekend of a million litres of strongly acidic radioactive sludge on the Ranger project area in Kakadu National Park. I ask whether the minister will concur with the demand of the traditional owners, the Mirarr people, through the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, also environmental and public health groups, for no resumption of operations until there has been a full and independent audit of the Ranger mine site to assess its facilities and particularly whether there are any other of these leach tanks in similar condition. Minister, I understand that the environment minister has called for a clean-up and an investigation. My question to you goes directly to the independence of that audit and whether the company will be prevented from restarting operations until that is concluded.