ABSTRACT
Uranium was mined in the South Alligator Valley of the Northern Territory, Australia, between 1955 and 1964. The mines were not rehabilitated following mining. The valley was incorporated into the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park in 1987. The Australian Federal Government carried out some hazard reduction works in the early 1990s. In 1996 the Gunlom Land Trust was granted the area under the Commonwealth's Northern Territory Land Rights Act (1976) but immediately leased the land back for continued use as a National Park. A condition of the lease is that all former mine sites and associated workings will be rehabilitated by 2015. The paper follows the development of an intensive and comprehensive consultation process involving all stakeholders. This has been a major challenge for all involved as the plan must be capable of satisfying the requirements of the regulators and supervising authorities, whilst still accommodating the needs of the Plan of Management for the park and the aspirations of the Traditional Owners. The paper ends with a discussion of lessons learned and a summary of the outcomes achieved and details of the program for the future.
