Jabiluka owners now have right of veto

Traditional Aboriginal owners have signed off on an historic 
agreement ending their long struggle against the controversial 
Jabiluka uranium mine.

The landmark deal gives the owners the right to veto the future 
development of the site in the heart of Kakadu National Park in 
the Northern Territory.

The Northern Land Council (NLC), acting on behalf of traditional 
owners, voted unanimously at its full council meeting to ratify 
the agreement with the mine owner, resources giant Rio Tinto's 
Energy Resources of Australia (ERA).

The long-awaited deal was flagged last July but delayed until now 
to give more time for consultation with traditional owners.

The Jabiluka mine had been the focus of years of bitter and 
violent protests, which culminated in the late 1990s when ERA won 
approval to extract uranium from the site.

Thousands of protestors rallied across Australia against the 
mine, with hundreds arrested in demonstrations.

Extracted uranium ore was never processed and sat in a stockpile 
at the site until last year when it was put back in the mine as 
part of the deal.

Gundjehlmi Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the Mirrar 
people, said that under the deal ERA had pledged not to carry out 
any mining activity on the Jabiluka Mineral Lease without the 
written consent of the Mirrar people.

The Jabiluka mine decline was backfilled and the site cleaned up 
late last year.

Some of ERA's financial obligations will also be waived under the 
deal.

ERA has paid out more than $7.5 million to the Northern Land 
Council since 1998 as part of an agreement signed with previous 
mine owners Pan Continental.

"We heartily welcome the NLC's ratification of the agreement", 
Gundjehmi executive officer Andy Ralph said.

"While it has taken many months for the NLC to finally arrive at 
this point, we are happy that there is now Aboriginal consensus 
on giving Mirrar traditional owners true control over their 
destiny in relation to uranium mining.

"This agreement will see the Mirrar people in the driving seat, 
for the first time in 30 years, of mining activity on their 
country."

ERA welcomed the decision and thanked the Mirrar people for their 
"strong leadership".

"This agreement comes after more than 18 months of negotiations 
between the company and the Mirrar traditional owners through the 
Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation and the NLC", an ERA spokeswoman 
said.

"ERA believes this agreement is beneficial for social, economic 
and environmental reasons."

The agreement must now be approved by Indigenous Affairs Minister 
Amanda Vanstone prior to it coming into force, Mr Ralph said.

Senior Mirrar traditional owner Yvonne Margarula was present when 
the vote was taken and sincerely thanked the NLC full council 
members for their support in progressing the agreement, the NLC 
said.

"The ratification capped off a successful 86th full council 
meeting, the last for the present council ahead of full council 
elections in September this year", the NLC said.

"A number of exploration licence agreements and other development 
proposals were endorsed, while the full council also hosted a 
visit by Senator Vanstone who took the opportunity to announce a 
substantial release of funds from the Aboriginal Benefits 
Account.

"Senator Vanstone's initiative will see almost $800,000 allocated 
to a range of land and sea management projects in the NLC's 
area."

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The Koori Mail, May 2004