Mining

As the map above demonstrates, there are only small pockets of West Arnhem Land that are not subject to an exploration licence of one form or another. The area under current veto, whereby traditional owners have told the mining companies to go away, continues to shrink.

Back to top

Aboriginal and Environmental Concerns

Unfortunately, the Land Rights Act is formulated in a way that makes it difficult for traditional owners to continue to say no, especially in the absence of other viable economic opportunities. Companies can reapply for licences every five years, and since traditional owners are legally required to consider any new exploration proposal within a year, the negotiations process, including meetings and general corporate humbug, begins once again. And to make the situation even more disempowering for Aboriginal people, a 1987 amendment to the Land Rights Act stipulated that consent to exploration automatically inferred consent to mining development.

ECNT is concerned that insufficient information on the environmental implications of uranium exploration and mining may be getting through to traditional owners. At the 2nd Top End Indigenous Rangers Conference for Indigenous Land Management held at Wuyagiba Outstation in South East Arnhem Land last August, Aboriginal people voiced concern about pollution of water courses, poisoning of the land, air and bushtucker, and damage to sacred sites, communities and health from mining generally. They then called for more help to understand what mining involves and the risks associated with it (Land Rights News, December 2000). At present companies are not legally required to state the type of mineral they are looking for. Uranium is therefore not singled out despite its dangerous radioactive nature.

Back to top

Exploration Activities

A typical uranium exploration program will consist of a number of the following activities: airborne geo-magnetic surveys to identify potential uranium-bearing anomalies; geochemical sampling of exposed rocks along grid lines; stream sediment surveys; costeaning (digging a large pit or trench); drilling for core samples in order to test the grade of the ore; road and camp construction; and rehabilitation of affected sites.

The most intensive program is known as bulk sampling, which tests out processing technologies for the particular uranium ore body.

All three current dry season exploration operations in West Arnhem Land involve drilling, with 'significant new road development' occurring in the Mann River area on Jawoyn country. Canadian giant, Cameco, has been extremely active in recent years in this area and also in the last year in the vicinity of King River. Last year it announced that exploration activities on its Snowdrop licences had been unsuccessful. Afmeco, a subsidiary of Cogema, the French state-run nuclear corporation, has been exploring in the Tin Camp Creek area some 30-50 kilometres across the Arnhem Land border from Jabiluka. The latter area also contains the potentially mineable Caramal uranium deposit - also formerly known as Nabarlek 2 - on an exploration licence held by Cameco.

Back to top

Uneconomic Uranium

The NT Government has, of course, avidly supported this increased exploration activity. It is pumping in $16 million of funding to the five year NT Exploration Initiative, which aims to improve the geoscientific data available to the mining industry, particularly for what is known as 'greenfields' exploration on previously unexplored land.

There is reason for some optimism though. Whilst exploration may be the 'lifeblood' of the mining industry, as Minister of Resource Development, Daryl Manzie, argued in Parliament earlier this year, it is also subject to the ups and downs of global commodity markets. Companies such as Cameco are currently being hammered by the low price of uranium. Not only is it looking to sell its 6% share in ERA, but it is becoming harder and harder for exploration managers to justify programs to head office on financial grounds.

The recent upsurge in exploration in West Arnhem Land has largely come about due to the relaxation of political constraints on uranium mining under the Howard Government. Economic constraints, however, may see the companies pack their bags and leave once again, this time hopefully for good.

Back to top

Exploration Licence Applications Process

Before a company can explore or mine for uranium (or any other mineral) - an application process has to be followed.

Note – The terms and parameters of any subsequent mining stage (i.e.financial arrangements and environmental and employment considerations) are generally attached to the exploration licence as a signed contract between the company and the NLC. This is not a formal part of the Land Rights Act applications process, but an initiative by the NLC to bring some greater security for Traditional Owners. (from NLC submission to the Review of the Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act 1976)

Back to top

MORE INFORMATION

Back to top