LOCAL mining companies could be forced to pay more than $1 million in fees for more WA safety inspectors.
But none of the inspectors will be based in Collie.
The Mines Safety and Inspection Amendment Bill 2009 has been passed through the WA Parliament’s Lower House for mining companies to pay a levy of $250 per full-time employee to monitor employee occupational health and safety issues.
The levy will fund 37 inspectors, but only 26 are mining inspectors and there is no commitment that they will be based in the South West.
Six of the inspectors will be based each in Karratha and Kalgoorlie, while 10 will be based in Perth to work throughout the State and four will be in a core investigations unit.
The levy will apply to all power stations and mines, the Worsley Alumina refinery and Perdaman’s new urea plant.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray spoke heatedly about the issue in Parliament last week.
He said he supported the objective of the levy but not the levy and the detail of it.
“I had 24 years in the coal industry, working 12 years underground and 12 years on the surface, along with six or seven years in construction work as well,” he said. “Therefore, I have seen people severely injured. Two of my shift mates—although I was not at work at the time—were killed.
“I certainly have a close understanding of the rigours of mining.
“Some people say that it is acceptable to have a small number of deaths but I do not believe that.
“I believe that everyone, especially in the mining industry, in WA should be able to go to work and come home safely to his family.
“It seems that from time to time in the mining industry, in both open-cut and underground operations, we have a spate of injuries, serious injuries and deaths. “I believe that happens because after a while there seems to be a drop in the pressure to ensure occupational health and safety. We have this drift and then we get a jolt from a number of deaths and that gets us back on board.
“A lot of it is about cost to companies and the Government in administering the safety regulations.
“But, to me, this is the full circle.”
Collie currently has three government-employed safety inspectors, Mr Murray said.
“That number is down from 11 in the past.
“This new scheme does not provide any more mine safety officers to Collie, nor does the scheme support dialogue on safety issues between unions and middle management,” he said.
“I see this levy as being a new tax gathering exercise by the Department of Mines and Energy.”
Mr Murray said the South West was one of the mining areas that is unrecognised by the Government.
“There are mineral sand, bauxite, coal and gold mining industries employing thousands of workers and it appears we are not going to get mine safety inspectors on the ground where we need them,” he said.
“With the huge infrastructure and mining projects in the South West, I would be happy for at least one extra officer to be located in Bunbury, within easy access to mining ventures across the region.”
Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) mining and energy division secretary Gary Wood said the union was concerned the money would be absorbed into general revenue and there would be no change in the way the inspectorate operated.
“The Government is bolstering the Perth inspectorate and we aren’t getting the people we need,” he said.
Mr Wood said the proposed levy cost could be increased at the Government’s beck and call.
“I have no problem with the industry paying for the inspectors, but it doesn’t give them any control and the benefits will be passed onto local industry.
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