The Environment Centre of the Northern Territory (ECNT) has reacted with dismay to the limitations the Minister for Mines has imposed on monitoring at McArthur River.

In a letter to ECNT the Minister’s department (DPIFM) states:

‘It should be noted that the Independent Monitoring is focused on assessment of compliance to environmental performance and not validation of environmental data through independent sampling and analysis.’ [Emphasis added; letter dated 20 November 2006]

"When the McArthur River mine was approved in October, the NT Government made a great fanfare over the independent monitoring body that would be created to monitor the impacts of the mine. Six weeks on, the ‘independent monitoring’ has been reduced to merely a review of data provided by Xstrata."

Charles Roche, spokesperson for ECNT said, "This is Mickey Mouse monitoring. What is the point of establishing an independent expert monitoring body, if that body cannot determine what monitoring programs are required and cannot collect and analyse its own data in accordance with those monitoring programs?

“When the Environment Minister approved the mine, she requested that a 'mine-funded monitoring and regulatory agency' be established to oversee the project. Mines Minister Natt noted this in his statement to Parliament on the 18th October, and said; 'so there will be complete transparency of environmental monitoring' (and) 'independent experts to undertake monitoring during the life of the mine'.

“Six weeks later the commitments to transparency and independent monitoring have evaporated. The independent experts will only be empowered to look at data that the company sees fit to provide them with; they will not be able to independently verify the data; and they will report to the Minister on the company’s compliance with the secret environmental conditions contained in the secret Mine Management Plan!

"If the NT Government was fair dinkum about its commitment to monitor the effects of the mine it would empower the experts to design the most scientifically credible monitoring program – including monitoring of social, cultural and economic impacts, and ensure they were free to collect and analyse their own data and report openly on their findings.