Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "ALB News: Uranium Mining" [1988] AboriginalLawB 28; (1988) 1(32) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 3

• Mining

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Mining

CRA recently announced plans to spend $10 million (AUS) during 1988 exploring the Kintyre uranium deposit in the Rudall River National Park in Western Australia. CRA has employed a former ALP official and former senior Hawke Government staff member as an advisor. It has been reported (SMH 1/6/88) that the company has lobbyed ALP officials and the Western Australian Government in its efforts to alter the ALP 'Three Mines Policy,' so that it can develop the rich Kintyre deposit in a 'three-act nightmare' - uranium mining in a National Park on Aboriginal land.

Teddy Biljabu and Brian Samson of the Western Desert Pangurr community were selected by the Aboriginal peoples of the Rudall River region to represent their views at Rio Tinto Zinc's (RTZ) Annual General Meeting in London, May 1988. RTZ has a 49% stake in CRA. The two men will be seeking to persuade RTZ shareholders to use their influence to force an end to uranium exploration and mining operations on Karlamilyi (Rudall River) country.

In contrast, the Marat and Gagadju peoples in the Northern Territory would like to see a change in the ALP 'three mines policy' so that mining operations can commence at the Koongarra mine, in which the traditional landowners are joint venturers. It has been reported that Richard Farmer, a businessman and ALP advisor, arranged the meeting between Gagadju elders and key ALP figures prior to the June ALP conference (SMH 1/6/88). Gallarrwuy Yunupingu, Chairman of the Northern Land Council, expressed suspicion over the 'sudden interest' of political and business groups in the welfare of Aboriginal landowners.