Senior Traditional of Jabiluka Announces Opposition to Proposed Mine
Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation 17 June 1996.

Yvonne Margarula, Senior Traditional Owner of the Mirrar Gundjehmi clan, has the primary responsibility for decisions regarding the mining lease at Jabiluka.

Her father, now deceased, is a signatory to an agreement to mine Jabiluka with PanContinental, recently acquired by Energy Resources Australia (ERA), and executed in 1982.

Ms Margarula does not want the mine to proceed. She has contacted the Minister for the Environment, Senator Robert Hill, to indicate her opposition to mining and has further requested that an assessment of the social impact of mining be completed, independently of government, land council and mining interests. The intention for the social impact assessment is to highlight the problems experienced by Aboriginal people in the region as a result of mining and to propose solutions to address the consequences of mining.

The minister for the Environment, Minister for Energy and Resources, and ERA are on the public record stating that if traditional owners do not agree to mining, the Jabiluka mine wouldn't proceed.

The proposed mine would be situated within the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park and also surrounds an Australian Heritage Commission Area listing.

Aboriginal people in the Kakadu region were forced to accept mining of uranium at the Ranger lease in 1978. The vast majority of royality payments have been expended on essential services, such as housing, provision of health care, aged care, power and water supply. These are citizenship rights which most Australians enjoy, without being subsidised by industry.

Ms Margarula believes that environmental damage is enevitable as a result of uranium mining. ERA has incorrectly calculated the output of toxic water for appropriate storage facilities at Ranger Uranium Mine.

Ms Margarula has stated that if the mine proceeds she will leave her homelands.

Footage is available, subtitled.
Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation, Manager, Jacqui Katona.