Mr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:43): I apologise to OZ Minerals. Last Friday, they invited me to participate in an on-site inspection of Carrapateena, their newest mine, which is in the eastern portion of the Gawler Craton. OZ Minerals has operated for close to 20 years at Prominent Hill, a mine that has gone 10 years past its initial expectation. It continues to provide a very good income stream for both itself and Australia.
Carrapateena is envisaged to employ about 800 people. It will be a significant boost to the Grey electorate and South Australia. It’s a first-class copper-gold deposit. It’s expected to last 20 years, mining around four million tonnes a year using the block caving method, which sees the whole shaft collapse in on itself as it goes along.
They are good operators. They’ve negotiated well with the Kokatha, who are the traditional owners. They’ve worked with the individual landholders in the area. They’ve got a track record of being a very good company and having high levels of Indigenous employment. I’m looking forward to having them in the Grey electorate for many, many years to come.