The Northern Territory Government has made the first milestone in Stage 3 of the Rum Jungle Rehabilitation Project, after the Australian Government approved a financial deal for the project.
In a statement, the State Government said funding represents a significant step forwards in the project, which aims to rehabilitate the environmental condition of the former Rum Jungle Mine and adjacent area while also empowering traditional owners through training and employment possibilities.
The Northern Territory Government Department of Industry, Tourism, and Trade is collaborating with the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, and Resources to recruit Traditional Owners to repair the site and strengthen cultural connections to the land.
Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said the Federal Government continues to fund the Rum Jungle Rehabilitation Project and First Nations Australians’ reconnection to rehabilitated land.
“This project milestone demonstrates our commitment to improving the condition of the land, preserving Indigenous heritage and culture, and empowering Traditional Owners with training and jobs in conservation land management,” Minister King stated.
Stage 3 of the Rum Jungle Rehabilitation Project is the execution phase of physical site improvements, which will include:
- treatment of groundwater and surface water;
- massive earthworks to demolish current waste rock landfills and rebuild storage facilities for chemically and physically safe long-term storage;
- create new storage facility cover systems;
- pit backfilling with lime-altered rock and installation of a cover system;
- realignment of the water path and installation of erosion and sediment control systems, including fish passage elements;
- clean fill excavation pits’ installation, operation, and closure;
- ecological rehabilitation of the property and its surroundings, including revegetation, weed control, feral animal control, and fire management;
- assisting with radiation, safety, environmental, and cultural requirements management; and
- upgrades and alterations to public roads to improve safety.
Minister for Mining and Industry Nicole Manison said the Northern Territory Government is collaborating with the Warai and Kungarakan peoples to improve land and water sustainability, environmental stewardship, and cultural connection.
“We thank the Federal Government for their significant contribution to the Rum Jungle Rehabilitation Project, and we look forward to commencing stage 3 implementation works in the region,” Minister Manison stated.
The execution of Stage 3 will take place in stages, with physical work already begun. With the release of the Future Tender Opportunity this week, procurement for large contracts has begun.
The disused Rum Jungle Mine site is roughly 105 kilometres south of Darwin and 6 kilometres north of Batchelor. In the 1950s, it was established as a mining location.
Since the 1980s, the Australian and Northern Territory governments have worked to ameliorate the region’s environmental problems, culminating in the present Rum Jungle Rehabilitation Project, which began in 2009.
The project has been carried out in stages, the most recent of which involved equipping 10 Warai and Kungarakan people with conservation and land management skills through a Traineeship with the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Trade. Five of the ten trainees are now working for the NT Government as part of the Rum Jungle Project team.
Member for Daly Dheran Young said he’s proud of the State Government and the Australian Government’s collaboration in ensuring Aboriginal communities have meaningful employment and a say in what happens on their land.
“As the Member for Daly, I’d like to thank the Federal Government for their contribution, which will ensure Kungarakan and Warai people have more options around the future use of their land,” Young added.
