Chapter 3

the supervising scientist*

THE FOX REPORT

The Fox Commission was acutely conscious of what it described in its second report as "the complex and sensitive nature of the [Alligator Rivers] regional environment" (RUEI Report No 2, 1977, 293). It continued: "Its protection during mining will depend critically on the establishment of a carefully and competently designed monitoring program and enforcement action based on information derived from it." (RUEI Report No 2, 1977, 293)

Accordingly the Commission recommended a "comprehensive monitoring program . . . both on and near the mine site and in parts of the Region likely to be subjected to environmental change" (RUEI Report No 2, 331).

A subsequent recommendation proposed establishment of a Co-ordinating Committee "to include representatives of all agencies involved in the research and monitoring program, the mining companies, the national park authorities and the Northern Land Council." The purpose of this Committee was to "co-ordinate the formulation of environmental control measures to be observed by Ranger and be the review body to consider any major changes in Ranger's operating procedures" (recommendations 3 and 4, 331).

Standards and procedures formulated by the Co-ordinating Committee were to be implemented by the supervising authority.

The "supervising authority" was provided for in recommendation 6 where it was proposed:

That a Supervising Scientist, having both administrative skills and scientific expertise in a range of fields relevant to the task, be appointed as soon as possible after a decision to approve mining. He should be appointed to the Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development and be directly responsible to the Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development.

That the Supervising Scientist should be Chairman of the proposed Co-ordinating Committee and that his appointment as Supervising Scientist be made before the establishment of the Committee.That the Supervising Scientist exercise a supervisory and integrating role over all research and monitoring programs agreed upon by the Co-ordinating Committee.

That the Supervising Scientist provide for public information an annual report on the results of the monitoring program.

That the Supervising Scientist be legally empowered to require relevant information from Ranger and the agencies participating in the research and monitoring programs, and to inspect sites and operations. (RUEI Report No 2, 1977, 332)

The report also proposed establishment of a research institute headed by the Supervising Scientist to provide "a centre where research and monitoring staff can work together" (RUEI Report No. 2, 1977, recommendation 7, 332).

These proposals form the genesis of what is the office of the Supervising Scientist. The office was subsequently given statutory embodiment in the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978.

Footnotes

* The Select Committee's terms of reference refer to the "Office of the Supervising Scientist". For many years the Office of the Supervising Scientist referred to the entire organisation supporting the Supervising Scientist. Since 1994 it has essentially been a branch organisation reporting to the Supervising Scientist but separate from the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist. The office of the Supervising Scientist refers to the personal post referred to in the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978.