Rehabilitation works at the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory will continue after Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King issued a new rehabilitation authority to Energy Resources Australia (ERA).

The renewed authority enables ERA, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, to continue rehabilitation activities as the former mine site is prepared for eventual handover to the Mirarr Traditional Owners.

“This new authority means that ERA will be able to continue with its obligation to restore Ranger uranium mine to a condition similar to the surrounding Kakadu National Park,” King said.

The authority follows the establishment of a new land access agreement, developed in collaboration between the Mirarr Traditional Owners, the Northern Land Council and ERA.

The agreement has been approved by Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (Northern Territory).

“I thank the Mirarr Traditional Owners, Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, Northern Land Council, ERA and Rio Tinto for their collaborative efforts in establishing this new authority and land access agreement,” McCarthy said.

“We want to see rehabilitation completed and for the land to be returned to the Mirarr Traditional Owners.”

Ranger ceased operations in 2021, with Rio Tinto previously committing to fund ERA’s rehabilitation program. In 2019, ERA increased its estimated rehabilitation provision to $830 million, up from $526 million recorded at the end of 2017.

ERA’s operations at Ranger ended after it failed to secure permission from the Mirarr Traditional Owners and the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation to continue mining. The mine produced 1999 tonnes of uranium oxide in 2018, including 613 tonnes during the December quarter.

Rio Tinto has supported ERA’s rehabilitation obligations through a renounceable entitlement offer, subscribing for its 68.6 per cent entitlement, consistent with its ownership stake in the company.

Over its 40-year operating life, the Ranger mine produced approximately 126,000 tonnes of uranium oxide. The Australian and Northern Territory governments will continue to provide oversight as rehabilitation progresses.

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