Uranium mining in Australia

Ranger Uranium Mine, number 3 pit
Quarterly expenditure ($millions) on uranium exploration since 1988
Annual Australian production of uranium (thousand tonnes) since 1989

Radioactive ores were first extracted at Radium Hill in 1906, and Mount Painter in South Australia in the 1930s, to recover radium for medical use. Several hundred kilograms of uranium were also produced.[1] Of the world's proven estimated uranium reserves (5,404,000 tonnes), 31% are held in Australia (1,673,000 tonnes), ahead of the second largest, Kazakhstan (12.1% or 651,800 tonnes).[2] In terms of production, Canada is the largest supplier to export markets, followed by Kazakhstan and Australia.[3] Uranium mined in Australia is mainly for export. Australia exported 50,235 tonnes of uranium oxide concentrate in the five years to 2008, worth A$2.9 billion.[1]

Following the Japanese Fukushima nuclear disaster in early 2011, many countries are scaling back their nuclear power production, with some setting deadlines for a complete shutdown of all nuclear power reactors. It is expected that this may impact on demand for Australian Uranium. However, State governments have now approved mine development in Western Australia and Queensland. But as of 2013 uranium prices are very low, and it is unlikely that any new projects will enter active development until the market improves.

Historically, many prospective Australian uranium mines have been constrained by active antinuclear opposition. For several decades uranium mining has been a major part of the Australian political landscape, 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.

History

Uranium mine at Mt. Gee from the early 20th century
Radium Hill minesite c.1954

The presence of a uranium resource in Australia had been known since the 1890s.[1] Uranium was mined at Radium Hill in South Australia from 1906 and a refinery at Hunter's Hill near Sydney processed the Radium Hill ore between 1911 and 1915 for radium bromide and uranium. Radium was used for medical research and also mined at Mount Painter (adjacent to Mount Gee) in South Australia.[4]

Serious uranium exploration started in 1944 after requests from the United States and United Kingdom governments, and in 1948 tax concessions were offered by the Commonwealth for successful discoveries. A £1,800,000 uranium treatment complex operated by the Government of South Australia at Port Pirie commenced operations in August 1955, processing ore from Radium Hill and Wild Dog Hill (Myponga), south of Adelaide. The complex supplied the UK - USA Combined Development Agency and closed in February 1962.[5][6]

Uranium deposits were found at Rum Jungle (NT) in 1949 and a mining operation run by the Commonwealth commenced there in 1954. Further discoveries were made at South Alligator River (NT) in 1953, Mary Kathleen (Qld) in 1954, and Westmoreland (Qld) in 1956. In 1954 Radium Hill reopened as a uranium mine and mining operations started at several other sites in the late 1950s.

By 1964, production had mostly ended due to depleted reserves and filled contracts. Export sales during this initial phase included 7,730 tonnes of uranium to the USA and UK for their nuclear weapons programs. Other sales related to the power generation in overseas countries.

A second wave of exploration activity in the late 1960s occurred with the development of nuclear energy for electricity production. 60 deposits had been identified up to the late 1970s. The Ranger deposit was discovered in 1969, Nabarlek and Koongarra in 1970, and Jabiluka in 1971.

The first of many government inquiries into the industry was tabled in 1976 as the "Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry" (also known as the "Fox Report"), and addressed the question of whether Australia should mine and export uranium.[7] Mining operations ceased while the inquiry was underway but recommenced in 1977 after the government took up a 42% share of Ranger Uranium Mines Pty Ltd.[1] In 1979 the Commonwealth sold its share in the still to be built Ranger operation and at the same time established Energy Resources of Australia Ltd to own and operate the mine. Ranger finally opened for production in 1981.

The Nabarlek (NT) mine operated for four months in 1979. 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.

Mary Kathleen closed in late 1982 becoming the site of Australia's first major uranium mine site rehabilitation project. This was completed in 1985. A similar site rehabilitation project at Rum Jungle also took place in the 1980s.[1]

Olympic Dam (SA) at Roxby Downs started operations in 1988, operated by Western Mining Corporation. A large underground mine, it was mainly focussed on copper production, with uranium, gold and silver as by-products. Western Mining Corp was taken over by BHP Billiton in 2005.[1]

Historically, many prospective Australian uranium mines have been constrained by active antinuclear opposition, but state governments have now approved mine development in Western Australia and Queensland. But it is unlikely that any new projects will enter active development until the market improves. As of 2013 uranium prices are very low. Cameco placed the Kintyre project on hold until market prices improve and Paladin has stated that its project proposals (Bigrlyi, Angela/Pamela, Manyingee, Oobagooma, and Valhalla/Skal) need higher uranium market prices before they can proceed. Toro wants to take the Wiluna proposal to the development phase, but has not been successful in attracting equity investors. When market prices go up again, so that mine development is justified, most projects would need at least five years to proceed to production.[8]

Map

Major uranium mines and deposits in Australia[1][9]

Active mine    Deposit/possible future minesite    Closed mines/plants    City/town

(May 2009)

Markets

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.[10] Another 64 nuclear power reactors are expected to be commissioned over the next six years.

There are no nuclear power generation plants operating in Australia and therefore no domestic demand. The High Flux Australian Reactor at Lucas Heights, New South Wales operated from 1958 to 2007. The OPAL research reactor is currently in operation at Lucas Heights.

Australian uranium is mined and sold only for electrical power generation or nuclear research, Almost all the uranium is exported under strict International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

Government policy and politics

Uranium mining in Australia has been highly political, particularly for the Australian Labor Party(ALP) at both state and federal level. Development of projects has often been stymied by a succession of inquiries and the politicisation of the issuing of mining and export licences.

The biennial ALP National conference in 1982 debated the issue vigorously. At the 1984 Conference, the newly elected federal Labor government under Bob Hawke introduced the so-called "Three mine policy".[11] The policy confined Australian uranium mining activities to the three sites already operational: Ranger, Nabarlek and Olympic Dam with a moratorium on new mines opening. Subsequently reserves at Nabarlek were depleted and the Beverley Uranium Mine became the notional third mine.

The coalition won the 1996 Federal election under John Howard and promptly abandoned the policy.

On 28 April 2007, the Howard government adopted a new uranium strategy which aimed to immediately remove "unnecessary constraints impeding the expansion of uranium mining, such as overlapping and cumbersome regulations relating to the mining and transport of uranium ore" and repeal prohibitions on further nuclear industrial development which had been established in 1999 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999.[12]

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.[13]

After returning to government in 2008, the ALP approved a fourth uranium mine in July 2009: the Four Mile uranium mine in South Australia, thus ending its 25-year-old policy.[14] Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson subsequently declared that increased uranium mining in Australia was inevitable.[15]

State governments opposed to uranium mining have been able to stop the issuing of mining permits, sometimes against the policy of the incumbent Federal government. As of December 2015, the current position of the affected states and territories is as follows:

Recent legislative changes

The Western Australian ban on uranium mining was removed in 2008.[10]

Queensland's ban on uranium mining was revoked in 2012, when Premier Campbell Newman back-flipped on a pre-election promise.[20] In March 2015 the Palaszczuk government announced that it would be reinstating the ban.[18]

The New South Wales Government passed the Mining Legislation Amendment (Uranium Exploration) Act 2012 No 16 on 4 April 2012. The Act was proclaimed on 14 September 2012. The Act removed the ban on uranium exploration to help gain an understanding of what uranium and uranium-bearing mineral resources may exist in the State. The ban on uranium mining remains in place.[19]

Opposition

Dr Helen Caldicott
Dr Helen Caldicott
Kevin Buzzacott in Adelaide 2014

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.[22][23][24]

In November 2011, Prime Minister Julia Gillard called on the ALP to reverse its policy at the ALP national conference, to allow export of Australian uranium to India. India has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

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. In July 2012, more than 400 people joined a "Lizard's Revenge march" to the Olympic Dam site. The anti-nuclear activists, including Elder Kevin Buzzacott, protested against the mine expansion and the uranium industry. They say the company and the government have put short-term economic gain ahead of environmental and health concerns. Organiser Nectaria Calan said police harassed protesters, demanding identification and controlling access to and from their campsite.[25] In August 2012, BHP Billiton announced that the expansion was being postponed indefinitely pending investigation of a "new and cheaper design".[26]

Regulation of uranium mining in Australia

Federal law

Mining or milling uranium ore is defined as a 'nuclear action' in Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, s.22(1)(d). This means that an EPBC Act approval is required for uranium mining from the Federal Environment Minister if a corporation or the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency is to take a nuclear action that has, will have or is likely to have a significant impact on the environment (s.21(1)).

State and Territory laws

NSW

Until 2012, the Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Act 1986 (NSW) prohibited uranium mining in NSW. 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 had made it an offence to prospect for, or to mine, uranium in NSW. (s.7) The 2012 Bill removed the general prohibition on prospecting for uranium in New South Wales. It also enables exploration licences and associated permits (but no other licences or authorities) to be granted under the Mining Act 1992 to prospect for uranium, to apply the State environmental planning policy applicable to other mineral exploration to uranium prospecting, vests all uranium in NSW in the Crown and excludes compensation for that vesting. The UMNFP Act still prohibits State authorities from constructing or operating nuclear reactors for the production of electricity (s.9).

Queensland

Mining uranium was banned in Queensland from 1989 to 2012. The ban was repealed by the Newman government, then the Palaszczuk government in 2015 announced that it would be reinstated.[27][28]

South Australia

Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982 (SA) (ss. 5, 27).

Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act 1982 (see: Schedule)

Victoria

Nuclear Activities (Prohibitions) Act 1983 - s.5: Prohibition against exploration etc. for uranium or thorium

Western Australia

Mines

Mary Kathleen mine, 2011

About 96% of known deposits are at six sites: Olympic Dam (the world's largest known uranium deposit), Ranger, Jabiluka, Koongarra, Kintyre and Yeelirrie.[1]

For a more comprehensive list, see List of uranium mines.
Closed/depleted
Operating
Known deposits/possible future minesites

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Australia's Uranium and Nuclear Power Prospects". World Nuclear Association. August 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  2. ↑ OECD. Uranium 2009: Resources, Production and Demand. OECD NEA Publication 6891. 2010
  3. ↑ "World Uranium Mining". World Nuclear Association. May 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  4. ↑ radiumhill.org.au website
  5. ↑ "Uranium deposits in Australia". Government of South Australia Primary Industries and Resources. 13 March 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  6. ↑ "Port Pirie Uranium Treatment Complex, SA". www.sea-us.org.au. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  7. ↑ Major Commonwealth Inquiries and Reports relating to Uranium Mining
  8. ↑ "Uranium supply: a troubled market". Nuclear Engineering International. 3 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Google Earth keyhole map of Uranium sites
  10. 1 2 Michael Lampard. "Uranium Outlook to 2013-14". ABARE. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  11. ↑ "Prospect or suspect – uranium mining in Australia". Australian Academy of Science. September 2002. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  12. ↑ "Prime Minister of Australia - Media Release - Uranium Mining and Nuclear Energy: A Way Forward for Australia". 2007-06-07. Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  13. ↑ Mascher, Sharon (2007). "Too Hot to Handle? Uranium and Nuclear Power in Australia's Energy Mix" (PDF). Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  14. ↑ Peter Van Onselen (18 July 2009). "The good oil: Peter Garrett knows his job". The Australian. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  15. ↑ Paul Robinson and Maria Hatzakis (21 July 2009). "Qld uranium mining 'inevitable'". ABC News. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
  16. ↑ "Mine objections 'short-sighted'". ABC News. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  17. ↑ "Barnett lifts WA uranium ban". WA Today. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  18. 1 2 "Qld uranium mining ban on again". 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  19. 1 2 "Uranium Exploration" New South Wales Government - Trade & Investment, Australia. Accessed 2014-07-03.
  20. 1 2 "Newman lifts uranium mining ban in Queensland" ABC News, October 22, 2012 (Retrieved 2013-12-12).
  21. ↑ "Door opens for uranium explorers in Tasmania" Sydney Morning Herald, 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  22. ↑ Aborigines count cost of mine(25 May 2004) By Phil Mercer, BBC correspondent in Darwin, BBC NEWS / ASIA-PACIFIC
  23. ↑ Anti-uranium demos in Australia(5 April 1998)BBC World Service
  24. ↑ Anti-nuke protests(16 July 1997)By Jennifer Thompson, Green Left Weekly
  25. ↑ Sarah Martin (16 July 2012). "Police accused over Olympic Dam protest". The Australian.
  26. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-22/bhp-billiton-profit-falls-a-third/4215638
  27. ↑ "Investor confidence shaken after QLD uranium mining ban". Australian Mining. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  28. ↑ "No uranium mining please, we're Queenslanders". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
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