URANIUM miners have been licensed to explore deposits in Central Australia for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The NT Resources Department will allow Cameco Australia and Paladin Energy Minerals to explore the Angela and Pamela prospects near Alice Springs.

Resources Council chief executive Scott Perkins welcomed the news.

"It's great," he said. "This allows further explorations to go ahead and possible mining."

"It means jobs, it means skills, it means commercial development for Alice Springs, it means freight for the railway."

The deposits, 25km south of Alice Springs, were last drilled by Uranerz Australia in 1989 but up to 37 applications were made after the Territory Government lifted 6000sq km of Reservations from Occupation in December 2006.

Independent auditor Stantons International assessed the applications.

More than 200 public submissions against the applications were lodged.

Arid Lands Environment Centre co-ordinator Jimmy Cocking said the decision was a "slap in the face for everyone in Alice Springs".

"It seems to me the companies and Government are walking hand in hand to make this happen at the expense of the Central Australian people."