Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) has welcomed the new legislative passing of the Atomic Energy Act Amendments Bill.
The amendments will allow ERA to extend its rehabilitation programs for the Ranger uranium project adjoining Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory past 2026.
ERA will be financially responsible for the rehabilitation of the site until it can be safely returned to the Mirrar Traditional Owners.
Greens spokesperson for resources, Yamatji-Noongar Woman Senator Dorinda Cox, said the bill was a “welcome” amendment.
“The Greens welcome this bill. In Australia, there hasn’t been a successful rehabilitation of a uranium mine,” she said. “With the expected cost to be up to $2.2 billion, it’s important ERA be made to bear the cost of the clean-up.
“We need to ensure the sector doesn’t end up passing on the costs of rehabilitation to the public.”
ERA will need to incorporate the site back into the surrounding Kakadu National Park, and ensure the radioactive tailings remain safe for at least 10,000 years.
The Ranger mine was shuttered in 2021 after more than 40 years and ERA, with the support of majority shareholder Rio Tinto, committed to long-term rehabilitation plans in the 1990s.
While efforts are ongoing and are well advanced in some areas, the new Bill is designed to ensure the regulatory framework is extended until rehabilitation is complete.
Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said the Bill had the support of the Northern Land Council and Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, which represent the Mirarr Traditional Owners.
“While a full handover is still some years away, this legislation will give both ERA and the (Traditional) Owners a line of sight for the land’s eventual rehabilitation and return,” she said.
“Ranger’s rehabilitation is a priority for all parties and we all look forward to seeing Ranger being a world-class example of mine rehabilitation.”