The Hodgman Government needs to immediately act on the recommendations made by a recent audit of the Mine Safety Unit, including increasing staffing levels, upgrading skill sets and expertise, and conducting a review of Tasmania’s mine safety regulatory framework.
“A price cannot be placed upon people’s safety, and the Hodgman government must act swiftly to implement this Audit’s recommendations,” Greens Mining spokesperson Kim Booth MP said.
“A key recommendation is the appointment of an additional inspector to the Unit, with the Audit Report finding that an adequately resourced inspectorate is essential to providing effective regulatory oversight of mine safety.”
“The Report notes that the three major mining states nationally, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, have all upgraded their mine inspectorates over the last ten years, and Tasmania cannot afford to fall behind.”
“The Greens have never supported the Tasmanian corporate welfare trend of ‘forgiving’ or reducing mining royalties, and it will not cut any ice with many in the community should the government now cry poor when it comes to implementing these recommendations.”
“People’s safety must be paramount, it cannot be short-changed in the workplace,” Mr Booth said.
Link to Third Audit of the Mine Safety Unit and Office of Chief Inspector of Mines, Worksafe Tasmania; Professor Michael Quinlan, April 2014: http://worksafe.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/288845/Quinlan_Report_2014.pdf
Kim Booth MP | Greens Leader
