On this program we celebrate the fantastic news that the Jabiluka mine lease will not be renewed! On July 26 Minister Monaghan refused Energy Resources of Australia's application for an extension of the Jabiluka lease which means that when the current lease expires on August 11 the site will be protected and arrangements for inclusion back into Kakadu can begin.
This is a testament to four decades of incredible grassroots campaigning led by the Mirarr people, whose land Ranger uranium mine was imposed on and who negotiated an agreement with the owners of the Jabiluka mine lease not to develop the site without their consent.
Senior Mirarr Traditional Owner Yvonne Margarula said of the win "We have always said no to the mine, government and mining companies told us they would mine it but we stayed strong and said no. Today I feel very happy that Jabiluka will be safe forever. Protecting country is very important for my family and for me".
Corben Mujandi who grew up in the campaign and has continued on to this day "This day will go down in history as the day the Mirarr finally stopped Jabiluka, now my aunties can rest easy knowing it is done. It is a great day for the Mirarr people, for Kakadu, the Northern Territory and for Australia. This proves that people standing strong for country can win".
As we approach the 79th anniversaries of the US atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9 we delve into our archive and bring you recordings from a Hiroshima Day Rally in 1999 under the banner of 'Stop Jabiluka Mine'. There are speeches by Loretta O'Brien and the late Arabunna elder Uncle Kevin Buzzacott and a song by Carl Panuzzo.
Thanks to Eric Miller for the recordings and Sam Gibbard for organising the archive and making these recordings available.
Emma Crunch, Michaela Stubbs, Sam Gibbard & Johan Kettle.