South Australia bans uranium mining in Arkaroola

Enviromine

Publishing Date: 26 Jul 2011 1:55pm GMT
Author: Mining, People and the Environment

Ecology & Biodiversity

South Australia’s Premier, Mike Rann has announced that the state will ban uranium mining in a wilderness area in the far north indefinitely.

Mr Rann said the Arkaroola Wilderness Park would be given “unprecedented protection” to prevent any mining activity.

He said this would initially be provided under the Mining Act, but would ultimately result in legislation to “specifically exclude mining and give clear and specific protection to the area”.

Mr Rann said the government would not have been satisfied with simply banning mining in the area and wanted it to be listed firstly as a National Heritage Site and ultimately as a World Heritage Site.

The decision has already drawn a response from Marathon Resources Ltd, which has been exploring the Mt Gee uranium project in the area.

Marathon has called a trading halt and said it has requested a meeting with the Minister for Mineral Resources Development regarding the announcement.

The company also said it is “taking appropriate advice with a view to seeking to redress the impact of this unprecedented action”.