Uranium mining in Australia
[1][2] In 2019 Australia exported 6,613 tonnes (15 million pounds) of uranium, 12% of world production, for use in nuclear power generation.
For several decades uranium mining has been a major part of the Australian political discussion, with opposition groups citing the wide-ranging environmental impacts, indigenous land access and nuclear proliferation as reasons for ceasing or restricting the industry.
The debate has resulted in limitations on mining and export activities, with Federal and State governments occasionally backflipping on public policy.
Export sales during this initial phase included 7,730 tonnes of uranium to the US and UK for their nuclear weapons programs.
[14]: 194 The other cartel members were France, South Africa, and Anglo-Australian transnational Rio Tinto Zinc Ltd.[14]: 194 It was formed by the major non-United States uranium producers to mitigate the impacts of US policy on the uranium market; to do so, the cartel engaged in bid rigging, price fixing, and market sharing.
Milling of stockpiled ore commenced in 1980 and produced 10,858 tonnes of uranium oxide up to 1988 with sales to Japan, Finland and France, for civil power generation.
[18] Active mine Deposit/possible future minesite Closed mines/plants City/town Generally, there is only one commercial use for uranium: as the source material for nuclear power generation.
In February 2009 there were 436 operational nuclear power plants worldwide, with a total generating capacity of nearly 372 gigawatts of electricity.
Uranium mining in Australia has been highly political, particularly for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) at both state and federal level.
At the 1984 Conference, the newly elected federal Labor government under Bob Hawke introduced the so-called "Three mine policy".
[22] The same day, the Labor party abandoned its "no new mines" policy, while maintaining its opposition to other forms of nuclear industrial development in Australia.
[24] Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson subsequently declared that increased uranium mining in Australia was inevitable.
[28] Opposition to uranium mining has been considerable in Australia, and notable anti-uranium activists have included Dr Helen Calidicott, Kevin Buzzacott, Jacqui Katona, Yvonne Margarula, and Jillian Marsh.
[29][30][31] In the 1970s and 1980s demonstrations numbering up to tens of thousands people were held around Australia and the loading of yellowcake on ships was disrupted by environmentalists and unionists.
While being welcomed at the time by State and Federal governments as a major boost to the economy, the proposed Olympic Dam expansion of mining operations did attract criticism.
Organiser Nectaria Calan said police harassed protesters, demanding identification and controlling access to and from their campsite.
[33] In August 2012, BHP Billiton announced that the expansion was being postponed indefinitely pending investigation of a "new and cheaper design".
In 2012 the O'Farrell government proposed the repeal of selected provisions of this Act, by means of the Mining Legislation Amendment (Uranium Exploration) Bill 2012, which passed on 28 March 2012, and received Royal Assent on 4 April 2012.
The UMNFP Act still prohibits State authorities from constructing or operating nuclear reactors for the production of electricity (s.9).
The WA McGowan government was elected in March 2017 and reinstated the ban on uranium mining but allowed these three and the Kintyre Project, owned by Cameco, to proceed.
[41][42] About 96% of known resources are at six sites: Olympic Dam (the world's largest known uranium deposit), Ranger, Jabiluka, Koongarra, Kintyre and Yeelirrie.
