759



PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES


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No. 35
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL




QUESTIONS

AND

ANSWERS


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FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT
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TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER 1995


(The Questions and Answers Paper published for the first sitting day in each week will contain, by number and title, all unanswered questions, together with questions to which answers have been received on the previous sitting and any new questions. On subsequent days, new questions are printed, as are questions to which answers were received the previous day. Consequently the full text of any question will be printed only twice: when notice is given; and, when answered.)


Notice given on date shown

Page 760

Publication of Question	Answer to be lodged by
Q&A No. 22 (including Question Nos 280 to 304)	18 December 1995
Q&A No. 23 (including Question No. 305)	19 December 1995
Q&A No. 24 (including Question No. 306)	20 December 1995
Q&A No. 25 (Nil Questions)	—
Q&A No. 26 (including Question Nos 307 to 310)	25 December 1995
Q&A No. 27 (Nil Questions)	—
Q&A No. 28 (including Question No. 311)	27 December 1995
Q&A No. 29 (including Question Nos 312 to 314)	28 December 1995
Q&A No. 30 (including Question Nos 315 to 317)	8 January 1996
Q&A No. 31 (including Question No. 318)	9 January 1996
Q&A No. 32 (including Question Nos 319 to 321)	10 January 1996
Q&A No. 33 (including Question Nos 322 to 327)	11 January 1996
Q&A No. 34 (including Question No. 328)	15 January 1996
Q&A No. 35 (Nil Questions)	—

Page 761

13 NOVEMBER 1995

(Paper No. 22)

*280 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS—WORKCOVER AUTHORITY—ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY—Ms Kirkby asked the Attorney General, and Minister for Industrial Relations—

(1) Has the New South Wales WorkCover Authority had any advice from the Royal Australian Navy regarding the safety or otherwise of recreational mixed gas diving?

(2) If so, what was the nature of that advice?

(3) Will the Minister table any such advice?

Answer—

(1) Yes.

(2) On 23 May 1991 WorkCover contacted Lt Commander Gary Barnes (HMAS PENGUIN) regarding recreational mixed gas diving. Lt Commander Barnes expressed his concern about the matter.

On 4 October 1991 WorkCover received advice from Lt McIntyre RAN (HMAS PENGUIN) describing his attendance on 19 September 1991 at an information session held by the company, Fun Dive Pty Ltd. Lt McIntyre believed that the presentation was “disjointed” and lacked “planning and organisation”. In addition, several statements were made that Lt McIntyre considered “either contradictory or in contravention of presently accepted axioms of mixed gas diving within the professional industry.” Lt McIntyre was so concerned about the presenter’s level of technical understanding of the complex issues involved in this type of diving, that he approached the OIC RAN Diving School, LCDR Kelly.

On 30 September 1991 LCDR Kelly met with WorkCover to discuss the issue of helium diving and on 18 October 1991 Commodore Sulman informed WorkCover:

Navy’s concern is also closely linked to those of the Hyperbaric Unit at Prince Henry Hospital, in that any accident resulting from this type of diving will probably require treatment in a Recompression Facility. The capability of the facility at Prince Henry Hospital is limited and the facility at HMAS PENGUIN has a greater capacity to treat casualty from this type of diving. However, the likelihood of recovery is minimal and the treatment time in most cases is lengthy and expensive.

(3) No, as the information contained in (2) is that contained in the original documents.







Lynn Lovelock
Deputy Clerk



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Authorised by the Parliament of New South Wales