Kon Vatskalis, Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Resources will speak at a public meeting this Friday at 11:30am, at the Andy McNeil Room in the Council Buildings. This is a public meeting for all Alice Springs residents. Children are welcome, and workers are encouraged to take an early lunchbreak and attend. The Minister's appearance is in response to repeated requests from the Alice Springs community for an opportunity to express their concerns over uranium development at the site.

This is the Alice Spring's community's first opportunity to discuss this issue directly with the Minister. The right to explore for uranium at the site was granted to a joint venture of Cameco and Paladin in October last year, after a comments period in which the government received 250 written objections to granting the rights, and a petition of 950 names.

The uranium deposit is 25km south of Alice Springs, within the catchment area for the town's water supply.

At public meetings in 2008, community members expressed concerns about the safety of developing uranium operations at the site. The potential for radioactive contamination from airborne dust, groundwater contamination, and surface water contamination during flood conditions remain unresolved issues for many residents.

“Families in Alice Springs are concerned about the health impacts of uranium mining and do not feel that any reasonable guarantees can be made about our security from radioactive dust in the arid environment of Central Australia.” says Isabelle Kirkbride, member of the Alice Spring's organisation Families for a Nuclear Free Future. “Families call for the NT government to embrace renewable energies and ensure the healthy future of Alice Springs."

Exploratory drilling is due to start at the site in late March.