Ninas Ark
Friday, 3 November, 2006
by Claire Mackay
ABC Territory Stateline
I seem to have quite good luck when it comes to raising these animals. I don't know why... although they're quite hard to raise I find what I do quite easy. It's not work to me it might be hard work and hard living to everyone else but it's my life and I love it and every minute of my day is just consumed with what I'm doing here for the animals. I've been here for ten years doing this for ten years and I hope to be here til the day I die doing exactly what I'm doing now.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
Every afternoon on her bush property near Litchfield National Park Nina Kheener feeds some 30 plus kangaroos and wallabies. She also rehabilitates injured and abandoned wildlife as part of her round the clock schedule.
NINA KHEENER:
It's pretty much what I do every hour every minute of the day. I have eight, nine animals in care on bottles at the moment those animals are fed every three hours and they're not all on the same three hourly feeds. So I do that all day, all through the night. I get up in the night and feed the animals as well they have different needs special needs that you need to know about and through the years you get more experienced at what you're doing.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
Every animal has a story.
NINA KHEENER:
Four weeks ago we didn't think Leroy was going to make it.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
Her home is filled with needy animals, tucked away in all corners of the house. Nina Kheener releases these animals when they're well enough to fend for themselves. But she's worried the animals' habitat will be lost due to a resurgence of mining in the area. The site of the old Rum Jungle uranium mine is just five kilometres from Nina Kheener's property. Uranium was discovered here in the 1940s and a mining industry developed for weapons production in the United Kingdom. At the time it was the Northern Territory's biggest industry and now mining in the area looks set to boom again. The Batchelor area is home to compass resources' nickel, copper and cobalt operations. A mine is being constructed adjacent to the old Rum Jungle site and they expect to begin mining mid next year. And the company has high hopes for what's yet to be discovered.
NINA KHEENER
They've recently applied for an exploration license on this property.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
Like many people - Nina Kheener didn't know that she only owns the surface of her land and mining companies have every right to explore for minerals below.
NINA KHEENER:
This is a sanctuary. This is a wildlife sanctuary any activity on this type of scale even just exploration will jeopardise what we're doing here. Will jeopardise the habitats here. Don't they have enough?
CLAIRE MACKAY:
But many in the Batchelor region say the return to mining is great news.
WENDY LEACH:
I think the business people are fairly happy because it's going to be a boost to the economy and probably for the Territory it's going to be a big boost to the economy.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
Wendy Leach has lived in the Coomalie shire for 40 years and is the president of the local council.
WENDY LEACH:
In recent months there's been a lot of housing price rises a lot of house sales people interested in looking around Batchelor. And not only in the town but in the whole area so and I think that's because of the mine. It will mean jobs I mean those who want jobs who live in the area will certainly I'm sure be able to get them because compass say they'll employ local people.
CLAIRE MACKAY
But that's cold comfort for Nina Kheener.
NINA KHEENER:
To me I don't think jobs are worth this it's not worth the devastation that will have to be done to the country just to extend this mine and that's exactly what they plan to do. They're looking for more minerals. They said that the mine has a life of ten plus years and in the life of a mine it's not long ok so that's why they've decided to put exploration licenses over the whole country right up to Litchfield boundary right up to the national park you know that's a disaster.
MALCOLM HUMPHREYS:
Exploration is kind of a staged kind of program. The initial years are very low impact and mostly you will find that exploration licenses will last for about four years and then the company hasn't found anything and leaves the area. It's only a very rare occurrence where you make a discovery that requires you know some significant disturbance to the surface.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
Compass founding director Malcolm Humphreys says the company has no interest in destroying the land.
MALCOLM HUMPHREYS:
Exploration people live and work in the field we're not a group of city dwellers. You'll find that most company people that work in our industry have a great sensitivity for the bush, for flora and fauna. We try to avoid and we're required to avoid damage.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
Malcolm Humphreys says with better communication miners and landowners like Nina Kheener can achieve a happy end.
MALCOLM HUMPHREYS:
The two can coexist, my belief is that we can work along areas where there is wild life, it's been done consistently in the past so this is not a completely new event.
CLAIRE MACKAY:
If mining is to stay in the region Nina Kheener wants the company to consider building a protection zone or buffer zone for the wildlife.
NINA KHEENER:
We can carry on with what they're doing to a certain degree if they'll just back off and do that. Yeah so we're not trying to put them our of business or halt some or all of their progress or kill their industry we're just asking for a bit of concern and a bit of leniency, so that we can continue our lifestyle and the work that we're passionate and dedicated to doing.