Mirarr people have long held a vision for the future of the town of Jabiru.
Now, with the nearby Ranger Uranium Mine in its rehabilitation phase, they’re watching the progress closely.
The mine was decommissioned in 2021 after 40 years of operations on Mirarr Country.
In February, the mine’s operators ERA - which is majority owned by mining giant Rio Tinto- announced the process could take $1 billion more than expected and two years longer to complete.
The rehabilitation process has also brought concern from Mirarr people.
Djaykuk Djandjomerr told NITV’s The Point he worries about the effect the tailings - the materials left over after the process of mining the uranium - may have on the water system.
“We still worry, we’re worried because they said to us that there’s still something leftover,” he said.
“We need to work with them and talk to them and let us know that everything is going good downstream.
“...We’re downstream, the mine is upstream so we don’t know what could happen, that’s all.”
Mr Djandjomerr said Mirarr people have been worried about the mine since work started in the 1970s.
The former tailings dam at the Ranger mine site. Source: NITV The Point
“We were worried, we were worried that something could happen when the mine opened,” he said.
“When my family we walked around here, these buildings weren’t here, the mine wasn’t there.
“We used to go hunting and go to Nourlangie rock, we used to go there with my family when I was about 4-5 years old.”
'The world is watching'
May Nango is also a Traditional Owner for the Country and remembers a time before mining, she said it’s important for Mirarr to see the cleanup done properly, so the area can be used to teach future generations.
“The young ones, we take them to see the Country, we can talk about where we used to go hunting,” she said.
ERA - and Rio Tinto - have signalled their commitment to returning the site up to standard with the surrounding Kakadu National Park.
At the helm of ERA is Murrawarri man Brad Welsh, who took on the role of chief executive in February.
He’s the first Indigenous CEO of the company and said ERA is doing “an incredible amount of monitoring” for any contaminants in the water.
Mr Welsh said it’ll be another six months before a more specific date and price tag will be confirmed for the rehabilitation, but in the meantime, he said ERA will continue their work.
“We do have quite a lot of funds in our accounts now and in our securities so there’s no genuine risk that we’re going to run out of money,” he said.
“We’re doing a number of activities this year that are no regret and we’re still completely committed to world-class rehabilitation of the Ranger project area.”
The local Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation welcomed the ‘reforecast’ of cost and time when it was announced in February, but CEO Justin O’Brien said they will be watching the process carefully.
Muruwari man Brad Welsh is the first Indigenous CEO of ERA Source: NITV The Point
“We’ve been sitting there for a long time saying that five years, from 2021 to 2026 is patently inadequate to rehabilitate this mine and that you’re going to need a lot more money,” he said.
“The parent company… is Rio Tinto. They've learned a big lesson from Juukan Gorge. It's made a big change in the way they operate and they have released public statements saying that they will support ERA to ensure complete rehabilitation.
“We respect them on their word, but they need to know the world is watching. This is a massive, massive project.
“Because the stakes are so high, it would be internationally catastrophic to get it wrong here and we will let any international forum of any relevance know very clearly if this is not done properly.”
'A potted history'
Mr O’Brien, as well as May Nango and Djaykuk Djandjomerr, said they’ve been pleased with the consultation with ERA during the process so far.
Mirarr people were invited to the site to plant some of the first trees at the Ranger site and given advice to ERA on cultural and environmental decisions.
Mr Welsh said ERA has a lot to learn from Mirarr Traditional Owners, and companies around the world should be working with and learning from the Indigenous people from the lands where they operate.
“We come at this with a potted history, I must acknowledge Ranger was done to the Traditional Owners not with them when it was built,” he said.
“One thing ERA can demonstrate is that we’re a learning organisation. By working in partnership with Traditional Owners we’ve gotten better and more sustainable outcomes.
“...There’s a lot to learn by thinking about things in a uniquely Indigenous way and how you might bring a cultural landscape to life, including an incredibly rich heritage but also a living culture that continues to be practised today.”
Mr Djandjomerr said animal life is beginning to return to the area, but despite the efforts, the Country may never be the same as it was before the mine
Mirarr Traditional Owners helped plant these trees at Ranger's Pit 1, 12 months ago. Source: NITV The Point
“Last time we were there we saw a dingo track, which is really good, it must mean there’s some dingos there now,” he said.
“When I was walking with my family in my day it was different and now they’re planting trees everywhere… it’s still a bit different, but it’s similar.”
Ms Nango said she’s hopeful for the future of her Country.
“We see our Country going back to normal, that means we feel happy then,” she said.
“We can start taking the kids, talk about the trees and how we used to go there before the mine was started.”
