Jabiluka is a proposed uranium mine in the Northern Territory of Australia that was to have been built on land belonging to the Mirrar Aboriginal people. The mine site is surrounded by the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park.[1]
In 1998 the issue came to a head when Jacqui Katona and Yvonne Margarula, of the Mirrar people, called on activists to come from around Australia and the world to blockade the construction of the mine by Energy Resources of Australia (ERA). Over 500 people were arrested in the course of the eight-month blockade.[2]
Although ERA were able to dig the entrance to the mine, continual lobbying, in conjunction with falling uranium prices prevented the project from proceeding. ERA's parent company, North Ltd, was bought by Rio Tinto Group, who announced that the mine will not go ahead - at least until their nearby Ranger uranium mine is mined out.
The Mirrar people continue to agitate to have Rio Tinto clean up the mine site and have it restored in keeping with the surrounding National Park. On August 12, 2003 rehabilitation works commenced on the Jabiluka site, 50,000 tonnes of uranium ore already extracted, but never processed, were put back down the mine-shaft at Jabiluka.[citation needed]
The 1997 documentary film, Jabiluka, was produced and directed by David Bradbury.
The Jabiluka Long-Term Care and Maintenance Agreement signed in February 2005 gives the traditional owners veto rights over future development of Jabiluka.[3] However, in 2007, Rio Tinto suggested that the mine could reopen one day.[4]