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26 January 2001 Mr
R Wells
Dear Dick
Thank
you for taking the time to discuss matters geoscientific with me
last Wednesday. There is no doubt that the AGC and the MCA have
several common goals, and we should work together wherever
practical to try and achieve these. One
of the issues we discussed was the value of mineral exploration
in the context of developing national wealth, and I was
interested to learn that the WA Chamber of Mines is
commissioning ABARE to do a study on this topic. As
promised, I enclose a résumé of the correspondence with
Senator Minchin on this issue, for your information. The letters
were prepared by the AGC but sent under the FASTS letterhead. My
understanding is that AGSO were keen for the study to be carried
out but that ABARE resisted. I
would have expected ISR to have funds to contract ABARE to do
this work, following the split up of DPIE after the 1998
Election, but there was clearly no one pushing for it within the
policy areas of the Department. It
occurs to me that if the WA study just covers that State, would
it be worthwhile to go back to the Minister and ask for the
study to be extended nationally? Do you know if the terms of
reference are available for this work? It
would seem that the results of this work should be in the public
domain because of their importance to the national economy, or
is this view too simplistic? I
would appreciate your comments.
Yours sincerely
David Denham
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