[Greens-Media] PARNELL - BHP: 'Jump!', Government: 'How High?'

[Parnell]

Media Release
Monday 10th October 2011


BHP: 'Jump!'
Government: 'How High?'


Today's approval of the Olympic Dam Expansion is not surprising; what's surprising is how weak the Government's conditions are, say the Greens.

"These so-called 'stringent' conditions are nothing more than a re-hashing of all the weak commitments that BHP Billiton has already promised for years," said Greens Parliamentary Leader Mark Parnell.

"Today's assessment report shows this project will be worlds away from 'world's best environmental practice'.

"This ridiculous spin from the State and Federal Governments has got to stop. It does no-one any credit.

"They should just be honest and say 'we want this project too much and we're prepared to let BHPB dictate whatever terms it likes in order to get it'," he said.

The Greens will insist on a decent debate in State Parliament to scrutinise the hundreds of pages expected in the project's Indenture Agreement.

"The Government must not rush the approval legislation for the Olympic Dam Expansion through State Parliament to meet an artificial deadline of its own making," Mr Parnell said.

"Pretty much everything the world's richest resource company has asked for they have been given by a State Government desperate to ink a contract before the Premier departs.

"Parliament must not be a mere rubber stamp in the same way that this Government has been," he said.



For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893


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