Mirarr Traditional Owners welcome end to uranium mining at Ranger mine inside Kakadu National Park

THE Mirarr Traditional Owners have welcomed the end of uranium mining at the Ranger Uranium Mine adjacent to Kakadu National Park

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THE Mirarr Traditional Owners have welcomed the end of uranium mining at the Ranger Uranium Mine adjacent to Kakadu National Park.

The chief executive officer of the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, representing the Mirarr, Justin O’Brien, said it is now timely for a reckoning of the commitments made by the Commonwealth and to improve regulatory arrangements.

Indigenous Employment Advisor Mickitja Onus on the last day of production at ERA’s Ranger uranium mine at Jabiru. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“It is timely to assess the promises made by the Commonweath to the Aboriginal community when mining was imposed in Kakadu,” he said.

He said the Mirarr have secured the support of Rio Tinto majority-owned Energy Resources of Australia for an extension to the current five-year period of rehabilitation at Ranger.

The traditional owners have also recently called on the federal government to amend the Atomic Energy Act to allow for this extension. It is understood that draft amendments are in progress.

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“The world is watching to ensure that an accountable and effective rehabilitation regime is put in place to restore the Ranger site to the surrounding World Heritage listed national park.,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Ultimately, the rehabilitation of the mine site is the responsibility of the Commonwealth government, which made a raft of assurances. These included an active Commonwealth and Indigenous role in the management of the township of Jabiru and the promise of Indigenous social benefit through the creation of the national park.

“The Commonwealth has abandoned its promises on both its role in actively managing Jabiru and in providing Aboriginal people with social benefits from the park’s administrative

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arrangements. Mirarr traditional owners and other local Aboriginal people are sorely disappointed with this historical breach of trust. These matters should now be reviewed and remedied.”

Originally published as Mirarr Traditional Owners welcome end to uranium mining at Ranger mine inside Kakadu National Park