Update - Jabiluka, stopped?

1 November 1999

Kia ora, for those of you involved in the opposition to the Jabiluka Uranium Mine, the following two press releases have just come in from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Australia) with the following comment :

" ... following the decision by the Northern Land Council not to allow milling of ore from Jabiluka at the Ranger mill, if ERA wishes to continue with its mining uranium project at Jabiluka, they will now be forced to build a new mill at a cost of approximately $150 million. Let's hope that the cost of this will be prohibitive to the company."

ECNT: Jabiluka unlikely to proceed.

MEDIA RELEASE Wednesday 27th October, 1999

The Environment Centre of the Northern Territory believes that today's decision by the Northern Land Council to halt discussions on the Ranger Mill Alternative for the next five years will see ERA and North abandon plans to mine Jabiluka.

The Centre's Mark Wakeham said today:

"ERA are now forced to build a $150 million mill at the Jabiluka site, a cost we believe will be prohibitive. We've been saying that the mine is an environmental disaster, traditional owners have been saying that its a cultural disaster and now it seems that the mine is an economic disaster also."

"Doubts as to whether the mine will proceed at all raise serious questions about why construction was permitted to begin in the first place. Shareholders will no doubt be asking these question at North Ltd.'s Extraordinary and Annual General Meetings this Friday. They will also want to know why North and ERA have led them to believe that milling at Ranger would proceed given that traditional owners have been stating for years now that they would not agree to milling at Ranger."

"Financial pressures on the companies involved as a result of falling demand for uranium internationally and opposition to Jabiluka from the traditional owners and the community at large look set to knock this project off once and for all."

ERA: ERA to focus on Mill at Jabiluka

http://www.energyres.com.au/media-releases/general/rel-1999102600.html

26 October 1999

The Northern Land Council (NLC), which negotiates on behalf of Aboriginal Traditional Owners, has today advised Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA) of a resolution of its Full Council meeting held October 19-21 relating to the Jabiluka development.

The Chairman of ERA, Mr Malcolm Broomhead said that ERA had been advised that the NLC has decided not to consider any proposal in relation to trucking ore from the Jabiluka mine to the existing Ranger mill for processing until at least January 1, 2005.

As such, ERA's remaining option would be to build a new mill at Jabiluka.

Therefore, the current strategic review and evaluation studies being undertaken in relation to the Jabiluka mine, which is common to both milling options, will now focus on refining the best outcomes that can be delivered by developing a milling operation at Jabiluka.

While expressing disappointment with the NLC resolution, ERA remains focussed on building trust and confidence between itself and the local Aboriginal people to better understand community issues. ERA also remains committed to progressing a cultural heritage management plan in consultation with Aboriginal people so that their concerns can be addressed.

At the Jabiluka site, the first phase of construction has been completed. The site currently includes initial surface facilities, excavation to the ore body and drill core samples recovered for geological evaluation.

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