Tuesday 28 February 2006
ABC NT Country Hour

Report by Adrienne Francis

The NT Minerals Council was quick to defend the uranium exploration and mining in the NT. Chief executive officer Kezia Purrick says it's important the public differentiates between uranium mining and the nuclear power industry. She says the prospective development of a nuclear waste dump was not under discussion today.

"The protesters are against the proposed radioactive waste management facility for the NT. This seminar is about uranium industry practice and development and we have about 100 people here today, so there is a lot of business interest."

Protesters accuse the Uranium Information Seminar of promoting expansion of the costly and dangerous nuclear industry in the Northern Territory.

"The seminar is promoting open and frank debate to get people talking about exactly what we have here in the NT. There are a lot of countries gaining power from uranium power which is clean energy."

Protesters also suggest it would be much better if the uranium industry turned its attention to cleaning up the radioactive legacy from mines such as Rum Jungle.

"It is happening, and the detriment is on the public record. Work has been undertaken between governments and this is continuing."

Ms Purrick says contamination in the Finiss River near Rum Jungle relates to copper, rather than uranium. She says the NT Government has a watching brief on the contamination at Rum Jungle and that the uranium explorer Compass Resources is taking on the need for rehabilitation with new leases in that region.

"They have the oxide, sulphide and uranium mineralisation fields. These days the mining industry conducts itself in a very different matter to the way it did in the 1960's. Industry has come a considerable way since that time."

Ms Purrick says the uranium seminar is part of a large uranium promotion exercise.

"Of course it is, it's promoting exploration, mining, history, socio-political history, government policy. The council is firmly behind development of this sector."