Australian Government to rehabilitate historic uranium mine. A rehabilitation of the Rum Jungle copper and uranium mine in the Northern Territory is underway thanks to a 3.5million budget from the Australian government. This rehabilitation will be a part of the 2021-22 Australian government’s budget. Rum Jungle began uranium and copper production in the 1954 and was shut in 1971.
It is expected to take 11 years post an initial environmental assessment. The Australian government have also underlined the project with a statement that it is part of a much larger process. The plan will also focus on using local indigenous vegetation and the appropriate treatment of waste storage structures, according to Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt.
“The site’s rehabilitation plan follows 10 years of detailed design work and collaboration between the Australian and NT Governments, the Kungarakan and Warai traditional owners, and local stakeholders,” Pitt said.
“It is aimed to maximise long-term and sustainable environmental improvements to the old mine site.”
“The rehabilitation plan addresses feedback from traditional owners, sacred site custodians and other stakeholders. Work will get underway once the plan receives an expected environmental approval later this year,” Pitt said.
The 11-year project is expected to create a further 61 full-time jobs, according to Minister for indigenous Australians Key Wyatt.
“Rehabilitation works will create sustainable and long-term jobs in engineering, civil construction, land management and environmental monitoring, as well as indirect jobs from supply contractors,” Wyatt said.
“The rehabilitation project will include on-the-job training opportunities for local Indigenous communities, including in civil construction and security, and will provide ongoing careers in conservation land management.
The overall aim of the project is to create a safe, stable and sustainable site for the Kungarakan and Warai people.
Upon abandoning the site in 1986 after $50 million of rehabilitation, about 640,000 tonnes of tailings were discharged and about 100 square kilometres of floodplains were damaged.