Senator Ludlam asked the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 11 March 2010:

With reference to the answer to question on notice no. 2592, relating to Australia’s top 200 defence export approvals:

1. Given the answer shows that 116 of Australia’s top 200 defence export approvals were comprised of chemicals: (a) can a list be provided of the chemicals Australia is exporting and their intended military uses; and (b) are these chemicals sent by Australia to the militaries of other nations as defence exports entirely within Australia’s international legal obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, including declarations to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the access of that agency to the facilities to which Australian chemicals are sent.
2. In regard to the export of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs): (a) what type of UAVs does Australia export; (b) (i) how many have been exported to the United States of America, and (ii) how many of these have been used in Afghanistan or Pakistan; and (c) have civilians been killed as a result of their use.

Senator Faulkner – The answer to the Senator’s question is as follows:

1. 116 of Australia’s top 200 defence export approvals involved chemicals:
1. 115 of the chemicals listed were sodium cyanide, for use in gold mining.  The other chemical export was heavy water for recycling. 
2. None of the chemical export approvals were for foreign military customers.  Australia’s controls on the export of chemicals are consistent with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) – namely, applying prohibitions/conditions on the supply of CWC-scheduled chemicals to non-member countries, and ensuring that Australia does not contribute to a chemical weapons program. 
   Sodium cyanide is an Australia Group-listed dual use chemical and therefore is on the Defence and Strategic Goods List and requires a permit to export from Australia.  Export applications receive careful consideration on the end-use and the end-user of the goods.  Sodium cyanide is not listed in the three schedules of chemicals under the CWC.  Sodium cyanide meets the definition of a discrete organic chemical under the CWC and, as such, facilities producing sodium cyanide in quantities above 200 tonnes per annum must be declared to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).  Some related production facilities may also have to be declared to the OPCW.  Australia complies with OPCW declaration and verification requirements.  The OPCW does not conduct inspections of facilities/entities that receive, distribute or use such chemicals.
   Heavy water is used to moderate nuclear reactors.  Australia meets all its obligations for the declaration and notification of nuclear materials and facilities under our safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and under Australia’s bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements.
2. In regard to the export of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs):
1. The UAVs concerned are small, lightweight and unarmed aircraft that are designed for surveillance.
2.  
   1. Eight UAVs were exported to the United States of America.  
   2. The exporter has advised Defence that these UAVs have not been used in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
3. See (b)(ii).

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