I can't intervene on BHP mine: Barnett

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says he is powerless to intervene in BHP
Billiton's closure of the Ravensthorpe nickel mine in the state's south.
The remote communities of Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun, south-east of Perth, are
reeling with the loss of up to 1,500 mining jobs as part of BHP Billiton's slashing
of 6,000 jobs from its global workforce.
Mr Barnett will be joined by WA Mines Minister Norman Moore at a meeting with BHP
representatives to address the issue in Perth on Tuesday.
He declared Hopetoun would not become a ghost town but said he was unable to
pressure BHP into retaining the nickel mine which underpinned the district's
development.
He said the previous Labor government's failure to implement legislation covering
the Ravensthorpe nickel project had led to a situation in which he was unable to
make any demands on BHP Billiton.
"It would have been better in this project if there had been a State Agreement Act
(SAA) between BHP and the state," Mr Barnett said.
"All other major projects in WA have a SAA.
"This is particularly so when governments - in this case both the state and the
commonwealth - provided infrastructure to the town which was to the benefit of the
community and the benefit of BHP.
"Now that wasn't done under the previous government.
"It was a mistake, it has made it more difficult to deal with but it's not the prime
issue - the prime issue is dealing with the immediate problem."
Mr Barnett said anger should not be directed at BHP but with "the poor corporate
behaviour by banks in New York and London that has cost jobs in WA".
"I think that is a disgraceful situation and I hope those who have mismanaged the
financial sector globally are brought to account," he told reporters.
"I'm not going to comment on BHP ... my role is to work with them...
"I may not be happy about every aspect of this decision but I will deal with every
issue before me.
"(Because) there is no SAA, the Ravensthorpe nickel project operates under the
mining law as it is ... in that sense it is a matter for the mines portfolio.
"Had there been an SAA it would have been under my responsibility as minister for
state development."
Mr Barnett said he could only deal with the devastating impact on the nearby
Hopetoun community, but said the development of a mining town in an agricultural
community had made the situation unique.
"We've got a town of Hopetoun - I would say the best equipped new town on the WA
coastline ... but no people ... now that's a particularly unusual situation that the
government has to deal with, and the community does.
"It won't become a ghost town. It may be relatively empty for some time... but the
beautiful location as a coastal location, the quality of the facilities and the
infrastructure that have been built will guarantee it will not be a ghost town.
"In the short term if there is some fly-in fly out (operations for workers) that
would assist.
"In the longer term Hopetoun will develop like any other coastal community around
tourism, around the holiday industry, perhaps people retiring to that location."