Thursday, 19 October, 2006

ABC News Online

The head of the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory says new entrants to the uranium industry should prepare themselves for zealous government regulation.

Harry Kenyon-Slaney, the CEO of Energy Resources Australia (ERA) which runs Ranger, says his mine is one of the most stringently regulated in the world.

He says the red tape comes at a price and is definitely not for mining companies who want to cut corners.

"Frankly, uranium mining is just like any other mining," he said.

"It has some specific issues that need to be managed, just as ... other different mining operations do.

"I believe aspirant entrants into this industry will need to learn how to manage those issues because the public, the regulators, will be watching closely and they will expect those standards to be maintained."