[Greens-Media] MARK PARNELL MLC: "Come on Eileen" : no excuse for 24 year old Roxby privileges

[Greens]

Media Release
23 August 2006

In light of their expected record profit announcement today, BHP
Billiton should give up its privileges under the 1982 Roxby Downs
Indenture Act and play by the same rules as any other developer, says
Greens MLC Mark Parnell.

The 1982 Indenture Act overrides the South Australian Freedom of
Information, Environment Protection, Aboriginal Heritage and Natural
Resource Management Acts, giving BHP Billiton a huge financial advantage
over other miners.

"I think the South Australian public would be very surprised to find out
that an Act put in place when Dexy's Midnight Runners was dominating the
world's pop charts allows the biggest development in South Australia's
history to follow the least amount of rules", said Mr Parnell. 

"Clearly, there is no financial argument for this free ride.  We do not
need to tread on eggshells like we do when negotiating with
manufacturing industries - there is no danger BHP Billiton are going to
take their bat and ball and go home.

"Mike Rann should be negotiating from a position of strength.  If BHP
Billiton are not willing to voluntarily give up their 1982 privileges,
he should legislate to take them away.

"And while he's doing it, he should explain how South Australia is going
to meet a target of a 60% reduction in the State's greenhouse gas
emissions when the Olympic Dam expansion alone is estimated to increase
the State's emissions by 20%", said Mark Parnell.



For further comment contact Mark Parnell on 8237 9111



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