The rehab plan for an old NT uranium mine has been deemed “woefully inadequate”. 

Production at the Ranger Uranium Mine on the border of the Kakadu National Park ended in recent days after more than 40 years of operation. One hundred and twenty-five staff have been made redundant since the shutdown.

The site’s owner, Energy Resources Australia (ERA) is required to restore the site to its previous pristine state before its licence ends in 2026. 

But members of the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, which represents local Mirarr traditional owners, say that five years of rehabilitation is “not long enough”.

They want the Atomic Energy Act to be amended so that an extension to the rehabilitation period can be put in place. 

Traditional owners are pushing for the rehabilitation period to be extended to 2052.

Reports say that ERA and its parent company, Rio Tinto, have suggested they may support an extended term of rehabilitation. Negotiations are ongoing.