GRETLEY COLLIERY MINEWORKER DEATHS
Mr PRICE: My question is addressed to the Minister for Mineral Resources, and Minister for Fisheries. What action is the Government taking following the tragic accident at the Gretley colliery last week?
Mr MARTIN: Today the funeral of four miners, who lost their lives at last week's tragedy at Gretley coalmine, will be held. Last week at Gretley coalmine four men lost their lives; next week a memorial service will take place so that full tribute and appropriate respect can be paid to these men and their families. The community's sense of grief at this sudden, inexplicable loss is, I am sure, shared by all honourable members. But, when the grief subsides, there is every reason to suspect that anger will arise, anger about the loss of a loved one, a mate, or a colleague, and anger about why those four workers perished in such a freakish manner. That understandable anger will lead to questions being asked about why that wall of underground water was not identified, and how and why mine operations were taking place so close to an obvious calamity.
The Government is determined to get answers to these questions. Today I report the progress of the inquiry established to examine the catastrophe at Gretley. The inquiry is separate from the independent review of mine safety standards commissioned by Cabinet, ironically and tragically, just days before the death of the four miners in the Hunter. I have promised the most thorough inquiry into the Gretley tragedy. To ensure that the rigour, objectivity and purpose of that inquiry is of the highest order I have, for the first time, instructed a district mines inspector - someone from outside the Hunter district - to head the investigation process. This is an important step. Normally it is the case that when injury or death arises a so-called hometown inspectorate is appointed to undertake inquiries. The Government, however, wants to make sure that all matters of concern at Gretley are identified in the most effective manner.
The fact that a different mines inspectorate will undertake the work into the Gretley disaster is in no way a reflection on the capacity of the Hunter inspectors. They have an excellent and capable record and I commend the work that they do. However, inspectors from outside the area affected are less likely to know the players involved on an intimate basis and consequently will be more likely to dispassionately discharge their burdensome duties. Today the investigation team was scheduled to enter the mine to make initial investigations, despite the fact that some flooding is evident and that methane gas is still flowing from the old workings. The inspectorate has already accumulated a wealth of written and mapping information. I expect preliminary findings on the cause of the deaths possibly as early as next week.
The findings will be telegraphed to the mine safety review panel, headed by Ms Susan Johnston. I have also approved a member of her expert team, Professor Roxborough, to be part of the Gretley investigation. The Government had desperately wanted to initiate a pro-active safety review without it operating in the shadow of a mining tragedy. Regrettably, the review will now be conducted in a far different environment to that envisaged by Cabinet when it approved its term of reference last Monday. I have already spoken with Ms Johnston about how the review will be conducted. She is in Sydney today and I will be holding further detailed talks with her this afternoon about how the review can help achieve a change in culture - the improvement in safety standards - to which the Carr Government is committed.
The Government owes answers to the families at Gretley about why lives were lost in such a tragic way. We will also ensure, with an overall review of mine safety standards, that the laxity that we believe is present in some mining operations will not be allowed to fester and that positive improvements will take place. In 20 months we have seen 10 tragic deaths in New South Wales mines: one at Lightning Ridge, one at Berrima, one at Warkworth, one at Bloomfield, one at Ellalong, one at Northparkes and
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now four at Gretley. It is always tragic to go to Broken Hill and know that nearly 800 miners have been killed in that town in mining accidents. In Rothbury there is a memorial to miners who have been lost in the northern fields; that is a tragedy. In Bulli it is no different.
The honourable member for Waratah and the honourable member for Wallsend constantly seek from me a positive step towards ensuring that we do not have another inquiry and, in time, come back to where we are today. All honourable members would feel as I do, and as the general public feels: a tragic loss in a mining accident should not happen. I look forward to keeping the House informed as matters develop. I assure the House that no matter will be overlooked to get to the bottom of this serious problem.