SkillBuilder discussion Concluding and decision-making 1. Explain why Kakadu is considered both environmentally and culturally significant. 2. Other than mining, why might there have been little development in the Kakadu region? 3. Do you think uranium mining should be permitted in this type of landscape?
Jim Jim Falls, Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia
13.10.3 Kakadu and its resources Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is renowned for its cultural and natural significance, drawing over 200 000 visitors annually. It features 20 000-year-old rock art by the Bininj/Mungguy people, whose connection spans 65 000 years. The park boasts diverse flora, fauna, wetlands, gorges and waterfalls. Kakadu’s uranium deposits, while economically significant, have raised environmental and health concerns, including higher stillbirth and cancer rates among nearby Aboriginal communities. The Ranger uranium mine, active since 1980, ceased mining in 2012, with ore processing ending in 2021. Rehabilitation, projected to cost over $2.4 billion, is expected to conclude by 2028.
FIGURE3 Timeline of major breaches at the Ranger uranium mine
2013 — Six-month shutdown after 1 million
2009 — Reports of 100000 litres of contaminated water leaking into local waters daily
2004 — Uranium levels 400 times higher than acceptable standard for drinking water detected
litres of radioactive sulfuric acid spilled when a leach tank collapsed
2011 — Processing operations halted during wet season when heavy rain filled the tailings dam, which holds rock and materials from the mining process
2015 — Weed-control fire escapes the mine site and threatens rock art dating from between 50000 years ago and first contact with Europeans
2002 — Uranium levels 4000 times higher than acceptable standard for drinking water detected
2005 — Mine operators fined by EPA for contaminating local waters
TOPIC13 Landforms and landscapes – diversity, significance and management 333
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