World’s Largest Uranium Deposit ‘Declared a National Park’—Lawsuits and Legal Battles Follow

Energy Resources of Australia (ERA), an Australian mining company, has filed a lawsuit against the Australian government and other parties after their lease renewal request for a major uranium mine was rejected. The expansion of a national park, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, included the mine area, effectively halting any further uranium development.

ERA stated on Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit against the Australian Minister for Resources and others over the refusal to renew the lease for its high-quality uranium deposit.

ERA further explained that they did not get an opportunity to present their views and have initiated legal action in the Australian Federal Court against Resources Minister Madeleine King, Northern Territory Mining Minister Mark Monahan, and the Jabiru Native Title Land Trust. They argued that procedural fairness and natural justice were denied in the decision-making process. Also, they requested a court hearing before the lease expires on August 11th.

Previously, at the end of last month, the Northern Territory Government, following advice from the federal government, refused to renew the Jabiluka uranium mine lease for ERA. The Jabiluka mine was incorporated into Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, making uranium mining impossible. Subsequently, uranium mining company Boss Energy withdrew its 550 million AUD (360 million USD) offer for the mine.

Jabiluka is one of the world’s largest undeveloped uranium mines. Discovered in the early 1970s, it has been mired in legal battles between the local Mirarr people and mining companies for decades, preventing its development. In the late 1990s, it faced strong opposition from the Mirarr people, sparking Australia’s largest environmental protests.

Interest in preserving Indigenous lands in Australia surged after Rio Tinto, a major multinational mining company, blasted an ancient Indigenous cave dwelling in Juukan Gorge, Western Pilbara, for iron ore mining in 2020. The destruction of this culturally significant site sparked intense criticism from Indigenous groups and investors alike.

Meanwhile, Rio Tinto, a global mining company with British and Australian capital, owns 86.3% of ERA but does not operate it. Rio Tinto has declared that it will not support the project’s development due to opposition from the Mirarr people.