Update North Goonyella 2018 Spontaneous Combustion, Fire and Explosion Right to Information
One thing I have found is any RTI process involving the now RSHQ (Mines Inspectorate) is never easy.
When something as secret as what went on at North Goonyella is involved it is even worse.
Believe it or not it seems that the RTI ran into a problem.
Such a fundamental problem that I have had to ask for an External Review by the Office of the Information Commissioner.
I have been officially informed today that my application has been received and meetings are to be held with RSHQ search officer maybe as soon as today.
RSHQ as a distinct entity was formed at the start of July 2020 when there were changes to the Coal Mining Act.
Previous to July 2020 the Mines Inspectorate were referred to as Mine Safety and Health in the Act and was part of the Department of Natural Resources Mines and Energy (Mines Inspectorate or Coal Mines Inspectorate). The DNRME.
For some funny reason my RTI request as processed by RSHQ only looked for documentation from the 1st of July 2020 and did not go back through any records it holds from when it was the DNRME Mines Safety and Health.
I will not speculate as to why everything is so hard to find.
Besides the explicit legal requirement for RSHQ for keeping of records, how can anything related to North Goonyella and spontaneous combustion, explosion be so hard to find.
After all RSHQ announce that they cancelled some Statutory tickets without naming who.
https://www.rshq.qld.gov.au/media/2021/former-north-goonyella-mine-officials-statutory-certificates-of-competency-cancelled
They continue to refuse to release the Mines Inspectors Investigation Report even under RTI, due to the excuse of ongoing legal challenges to the decision to cancel their Statutory Tickets
On 3 June 2022 I finalized an RTI application requesting access to
All correspondence, excluding addendums, between RSHQ (the Coal Mines Inspectorate), SIMTARS and Queensland Mines Rescue Service regarding the spontaneous combustion event that occurred at North Goonyella Mine in September 2018.
Time period: 1 July 2018 to 31 October 2018.
The recent reply on the 16th of August stated that there was NO correspondence located, and in part states
I received advice from RSHQ on 27 July 2022 stating that they did not hold any documents responsive to the scope of your application
What are the real chances of their not being any communication between the Mines Inspectors (now RSHQ), the Mines Rescue Brigade when
- Workers were withdrawn in the first week of September and an advanced spontaneous combustion event was identified,
- Through to Black Smoke coming out the main fan around the 27th of September
- The Mines Rescue and the GAG jet engine being deployed in the Mines Inspectors declared exclusion zone
- The 2 drifts sealed in the next week the way through till the end October, all within the Inspector declared exclusion zone.
Not one email from anyone anywhere.
The Mine Record Entries (MRE’s) from September 10th 2018, (mostly written by then Inspector Marlborough) tell a far different story about how closely the organizations were working at the time
10th SEPTEMBER Simtars now on site to assist with gas chromatograph analysis.
The Mine Record Entries (MRE’s) of the Mines Inspectorate from around the 20th of September and onwards daily from that point mention Mr Watkinson from Simtars being present as part of discussions, gas data and interpretation and the 24 hour and longer plans of the situation at North Goonyella.
The Mines Rescue Service are mentioned in the MRE’s as being deployed onsite from at least the 23rd of September 2018.
The correspondence from RTI further states
In assessing whether the documents are non-existent, an agency may also conduct searches. Where searches are conducted, an agency must demonstrate that it has taken all reasonable steps to locate responsive documents, prior to deciding that documents are non-existent.[1]
After carefully considering the terms of your application, I requested searches be undertaken by RSHQ. On 9 August 2022 I received advice from that business unit that searches were made of all departmental database as well as the Network Drive, emails and eDocs system; using the key words:
- Spontaneous combustion;
- Spon comb;
- Spon com;
- North Goonyella;
- North Goon;
- Goonyella;
- QMRS; and
- Simtars
I was advised that no documents were located by these searches.
Yesterday the 7th I sent the below as my request for an external review
Office of the Information Commissioner.
I wish to make A FORMAL application for an external review of this matter.
At this point no documents requested can be located at all. The likelihood of such being the case is extremely low. to non-existent in my considered opinion.
I do not believe there has been sufficient searches on this matter.
RSHQ as a distinct entity was formed at the start of July 2020 when there were changes to the Coal Mining Act.
Previous to July 2020 the Mines Inspectorate were referred to as Mine Safety and Health in the Act and was part of the Department of Natural Resources Mines and Energy (Mines Inspectorate or Coal Mines Inspectorate)
For instance the the Chief Inspector or any Mines Inspectorate member email address ended in @dnrme/qld.gov.au (or something very similar) where now it ends in @rshq.qld.gov.au
In short I do not believe that a diligent enough RTI search has been performed. Any any correspondence at that time would have been sent to a @dnrme.qld.gov.au address
Could you please consider this matter for your attention and hopefully agreement to order another search?
Thank you again
