By Chris Spindler
The federal government's decision about whether or not to allow uranium mining at Jabiluka in the NT will be made very soon. If the go-ahead is given, Energy Resources Australia (ERA) will open the new mine and push a 20-kilometre road through undeveloped areas in Kakadu National Park.
The area's traditional owners, the Mirrar Gundjehmi clan, and environment organisations are campaigning strongly to stop the mine. They point to the horrific consequences of ERA's current uranium mine at Ranger, which opened in 1980.
So far, the campaign has included two national tours and a national day of action, public meetings, protests, lobbying exercises and public information drives.
The Wilderness Society's coordinator for the Jabiluka campaign, Chris Doran, told Green Left Weekly that all avenues of protest will be used, including the final option of blockading the mining operation if necessary.
In the meantime, the campaign continues to broaden; a new organisation, Doctors and Health Professionals Against Uranium Mining, was launched on September 29.
The Mirrar are pursuing a court case to test the validity of ERA's mining lease. The lease was issued by the NT government, and the Mirrar argue that since minerals come under federal jurisdiction, the lease is invalid.
Because of opposition from the traditional owners, the current court battles and the upcoming wet season, mining is unlikely to begin before next April. Doran stressed the urgency of building the biggest possible campaign now.
In Sydney, protest actions will be held outside the ERA annual general meeting on October 16 and at a uranium conference over the weekend October 18-19. For campaign information, telephone Friends of the Earth on (02) 9283 2004 or the Wilderness Society on (02) 9552 2355.