Senator CHILDS —My question is directed to the Minister for Resources and Energy. Minister, is it true you failed to meet your ministerial responsibilities to consult the Australian Heritage Commission over your decision to review Consolidated Rutile Ltd's mining activities on North Stradbroke Island? Isn't it a fact that areas affected by the CRL mine are listed on the interim National Estate and that the Heritage Commission have set export conditions for CRL's operations? Shouldn't you then have followed the proper process and sought AHC advice under section 30 of the Australian Heritage Commission Act?

Senator PARER —I know the incident to which Senator Childs refers. My department was informed about the incident by the Queensland department of mines at a very early stage. Let me say that, under the previous government, management of the environment aspects was given to the Queensland government to oversee. Officers from my department and the Commonwealth environment department travelled to Brisbane for discussions with the state authorities and the company.

The Queensland minister's response was to issue a notice to the company to show cause as to why CRL's mining lease should not be cancelled or a fine imposed. The Queensland minister also announced that CRL's security deposit had been increased and his department had instructed CRL to commission independent hydrological studies of the Gordon and Ibis Alpha mines.

Following CRL's response to the notice to show cause, the Queensland minister decided not to cancel CRL's mining lease or impose a financial penalty. This was based on Consolidated Rutile's actions to mitigate the impacts arising from the incident, the company's undertaking to address water management and its commitment to revise its environmental management overview strategy. I recently undertook a review of CRL's export controls and concluded that the relevant environmental concerns are being adequately addressed by state environmental processes. I therefore decided to take no further action against CRL.

Senator CHILDS —Madam President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, why did you conduct such a narrow review and make conclusions based on the very limited advice that the relevant environmental concerns were being adequately addressed by state environmental processes and monitoring procedures? Will you release the review so that the community is fully informed and can have confidence in CRL's environmental performance?

Senator PARER —I think it is worth informing Senator Childs that I actually went across and had a look at the project on North Stradbroke Island, just to see for myself what was happening over there. It was before the change of ownership, which happened, I think, a couple of months ago with CRL. There was no doubt that some things had occurred in the past, and some of these problems that occurred in the past go back 15 or 20 years. It should be remembered that this is a mine that has been going for pretty close to 40 years. It is the last remaining sand mine in Queensland.

One of the things that really impressed me about it, notwithstanding the fact that there had to be some corrections made to some of the things that happened in the past, was the rehabilitation on South Stradbroke Island. For those people in this place who are interested in the environment, can I say that it would be well worth your while just to see the high level of rehabilitation on South Stradbroke Island by CRL.