Ranger uranium mine site, Kakadu National Park, NT
Ranger uranium mine, operated by Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA), is located in the Alligator River Region of the Northern Territory, 8 km east of the township of Jabiru. The mine is located within the 78 km2 Ranger Project Area which is surrounded by, but separate from, the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. The mine is adjacent to Magela Creek, a tributary of the East Alligator River.
Ranger is an open cut mine and has been producing uranium oxide (U3O8) via acid leach extraction since 1981. In accordance with current regulatory approvals, mining at Ranger ceased in 2012 and stockpiled ore can continue to be processed until 2021. All rehabilitation works on site must be complete by 2026.
Prior to the commencement of mining at Ranger, the Commonwealth set stringent environmental protection objectives which are detailed in the Environmental Requirements for the Ranger uranium mine. Rehabilitation planning for Ranger has been underway for a number of years, with ERA submitting the latest version of its Ranger Mine Closure Plan in June 2018. The Supervising Scientist released an Assessment Report of ERA’s Mine Closure Plan in September 2018, which makes a number of recommendations to ensure the best possible environmental outcomes can be achieved.
To date, the Supervising Scientist’s extensive environmental monitoring programs have demonstrated that people and the environment surrounding Ranger mine, including Kakadu National Park, have remained protected from the effects of uranium mining.
Map of the Alligator Rivers Region
Map of the Alligator Rivers Region
Text version of infographic
Map showing the Alligator Rivers Region, which is located 220km east of Darwin and encompasses an area of approximately 28,000km 2. The Alligator Rivers Region extends into western Arnhem Land and includes the catchments of the West Alligator, South Alligator and east Alligator Rivers. Kakadu National Park lies entirely within the Alligator Rivers Region, as do the Ranger, Jabiluka, Narbarlek and Koongarra uranium deposits.