Ms Yvonne Margarula is the Senior Traditional Owner of the Mirrar/Gundjehmi Aboriginal homelands on which a new uranium mine in Kakadu National Park is proposed. If given the go-ahead Energy Resources Australia (ERA) proposes to mine her traditional country and transport uranium ore by open truck 20 kilometres across her lands from a new mine site at Jabiluka for processing at its Ranger uranium mine facilities. Ms Margarula is emphaticly against Jabiluka being mined and is calling for Australian and International support to stop the destruction of her homelands.
The association she chairs, the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation, put her position clearly to the Minister for the Environment, Senator Hill, earlier this year:
'As Senior Traditional Owner she [Yvonne Margarula] has great responsibility for decisions affecting her country. Ms Margarula has first hand knowledge of the impact of mining on country and on her people. Mining has caused tremendous damage to Aboriginal people. The expectations and promise of benefits from the Ranger mine haven't been realised. Life expectancy is reduced, general health has not improved, there are minimal education outcomes, minimal employment outcomes and an increase in the number of social problems. Aboriginal people have received more benefit from the present leasing arrangement with Kakadu National Park.'
Ms Margarula blames alcohol for the death of four of her family members in just two years and the mine for exacerbating those alcohol problems. 'I am also worried about the kids returning to school. They are not getting a good education and alcohol is the main problem.' Ms Margarula has grave concerns that if the mine proceeds Aboriginal sacred sites near the mine site will be desecrated. She is also very concerned about the possible environmental damage to the homelands within her care including the contamination of creeks and river systems, the killing of wildlife and the despoiling of her clan's valuable food resources. She has stated publicly that she will leave her homelands if the mine goes ahead.
Ms Margarula has been a clear and determined Aboriginal voice against the proposed mine. She has received support from a number of other Senior Traditional Owners in Kakadu including one of Australia's most respected Aboriginal elders,Bill Neidjie.
Unfortunately the organisation most charged with the responsibility of communicating Aboriginal concerns to government about proposed development on Aboriginal land, the Northern Lands Council (NLC) has been less clear in its support of her.
On 25 May 1996 The Northern Territory Times reported the NLC as opposing the mine but by July its position appears to have altered. The NLC's president Mr Yunupingu is reported on 15 July as saying that he was of the opinion that most affected families in the Ranger area seemed to be supporting the mining.
Recently the NLC circulated a document to Traditional Owners that implied that they have no power to say no to the Jabiluka mine. This opinion appears to be based on the doubtful and untested legal conclusion that the agreement to allow mining signed by Ms Margarula's father is enforceable by the new leaseholder, ERA, against Ms Margarula, even though neither of them were party to the original agreement. The legal significance of the agreement is even more doubtful given the fact that ERA's proposed development of the Jabiluka mine site differs significantly from the terms of the original agreement entered into between her father and the previous holder of the lease, PanContinental.
Many Traditional Owners in Kakadu find it difficult to accept the NLC's view that they have no right to say no to the Jabiluka mine. Some were parties to the original Jabiluka lease agreement and feel they were coerced into signing it. Ms Margarula speaks from her knowledge of her father's experience, and echoes the opinion of others present at the signing when she says 'History will now repeat itself. Uranium mining is to be forced on the next generation of traditional owners of the Mirrar/Gundjrhmi. It is widely recognised that the 1982 agreement with PanContinental was signed under duress'.
The NLC has approved six new uranium mining exploration licences in Western Arnhemland so far this year and its royalty agreement with ERA for the Ranger mine is due for renegotiation soon. Senior Traditional Owners in Kakadu no longer trust the NLC's ability to hear or support their opposition to the Jabiluka mine.
Despite differences within the broader Aboriginal community about whether the mine should be allowed to proceed it is clear that Senior Traditional Owners affected by the decision are either personally in agreement with Ms Margarula's views or are supportive of her prerogative to refuse her permission.
The uranium ore in the ground at Jabiluka is estimated to be worth twelve billion dollars to ERA over 30 years so the scene looks set for a David and Goliath struggle between a shy Aboriginal woman who works in the laundry of the local hotel and the world's second or third largest producer of Uranium.
A recent poll found over 50 percent of Australians do not support the development of more uranium mines in Australia. One can only guess at the percentage of the Australian population who do not support the opening of a new uranium mine in the middle of Australias' most internationally recognised National Park.
The first thing we need to do to meet Yvonne's request for support is to simply listen. To listen to her view of how indigenous and non indigenous peoples can best work together to prevent the construction of the new mine. Stopping the mine is but one aspect of her request. Another and perhaps in the long term even more important aspect is the opportunity to learn to cooperate and work with each other in an atmosphere of understanding and genuine respect. [end]