TRADITIONAL landowners and support bodies are pushing for an overhaul of the uranium mining industry's "self-regulation''.

Its conduct has again been questioned with reports that Kakadu National Park has fallen victim to ongoing radioactive wastewater leaks -- one of many recent reports of lawless practice among mining giants, according to Northern Land Council chief executive Kim Hill.

The council raised concerns based on a CSIRO study that 150,000 litres of contaminated water a day escapes from a tailings dam at Rio Tinto's Ranger mine, in Kakadu. Mr Hill said the "poor mining practice'' was fuelled by economic motives. `

"This has come at the cost of basic environmental protection and simple common sense,'' he said.

"NLC is not anti-mining. But government agencies need to ensure pollution is not seen as mere collateral damage in pursuit of larger profit margins for shareholders.''

Whistleblower action last year brought to light a series of incidents --including a manganese ore spill into the port of Groote Eylandt, the dumping of 88 tonnes of alumina oxide into Gove Harbor and the release of two tonnes of copper concentrate into Darwin Harbour during loading at East Arm Wharf. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Karl Hampton doubled the fine for not reporting incidents and increased Environmental Protection Authority monitoring staff from three to six.

But a report from the Territory EPA slammed systematic flaws in industry accountability. This was echoed by Kakadu's Mirrar people, whose decade-long fear of a "looming'' environmental disaster peaked with the floods earlier this year.

Rio Tinto's share price was hit when Energy Resources Australia -- the subsidiary company operating Ranger -- was forced to halt milling at the site in February, as the dam brimmed to capacity.