A decision by the Northern Territory Government to allow a uranium exploration project has prompted the Member for Kennedy to call for the Queensland Government to overturn its ban on uranium mining.

Two uranium exploration companies have been given permission to search land near Alice Springs that could have deposits worth $2 billion.

Independent federal MP Bob Katter says there are already deposits around north-west Queensland ready to go into production.

He believes the State Government is blocking the development of the Mount Isa region.

"So the alternatives really are very simply, mine uranium, and if you don't then you are doing the wrong thing by the people in north west Queensland, you're doing the wrong thing by the people of Queensland and Australia and you're most certainly doing the wrong thing by the planet as well," he said.

However, Dr Gavin Mudd from Monash University dismisses the suggestion that uranium is an eco-friendly power source.

He says that a commodity that contributes towards nuclear proliferation should not be described as environmentally friendly.

"Yes, nuclear power does have lower relative carbon emissions than coal or other fossil fuels at the moment, but that gap will narrow into the future, especially if there is a resurgence into nuclear power," he said.

"But we still haven't solved the nuclear waste problem, radiation exposure issues are still significant."