Thank you, Madam Speaker. Last week, BHP Minerals submitted a project description of their proposed diamond mine, near Lac De Gras, to the federal government's regional environmental review committee. The document is intended to describe the major aspects of the project, as a preliminary step in the environmental review process. The project must be developed in a manner which assures environmental safety and a minimum of social disruption.
The company is continuing to test the property and has not yet confirmed that they have an economic deposit. However, there is reason to expect that the results of these tests will be positive. It is important that Members of this Assembly are informed of some of the major elements of the project description.
BHP is pursuing an aggressive development schedule, with construction starting in 1995 and production commencing in 1997. Three separate diamond bearing kimberlite pipes in close proximity to each other would be developed, using a central processing facility. They would be developed initially as open pits, with a mine life of 20 years.
This would be a very large project. By way of comparison, it would process more ore than all other operating mines in the NWT combined. There would be a construction workforce of 1,000 and a production workforce of 650 people, who would fly in and out from Yellowknife and other local communities. A further 780 to 880 indirect jobs are estimated to be generated from the project.
The company has stated its intent to ensure that the benefits of the project to the people of the north are maximized and shared equitably. It plans to negotiate a benefit agreement with the Dogrib people, and to use Yellowknife as the point of hire.
The NWT diamonds project employment policy will be to hire qualified employees first from the proximate Dene and Metis communities, then from within the NWT, before looking elsewhere. Preference will be given to suppliers of goods and services in the NWT, followed by those from the rest of Canada.
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