"It's absolutely not the end of the road for Yeelirrie or the other uranium mines that are being strongly contested here in Western Australia," he said.

Tjiwarl native title holder Vicky Abdullah said the court case was only part of the campaign. "It's a bad decision, but it's not the end decision."

The ministerial endorsement was subject to 17 conditions, including the Canadian company undertaking further surveys and research into stygofauna and troglofauna to minimise impacts on the tiny underground creatures.

Mr Verstegen said he always knew the appeal would result in either the uranium approval being ruled invalid or the environmental laws being exposed as inadequate.

"Today's ruling shows that indeed our environmental laws are deeply inadequate," he said.

There is still a federal decision pending, with the WA appeal delaying the process by months.

"It is now up to the Commonwealth government to take a rigorous approach to the environmental assessment of this project rather than just relying on the shonky assessment that was done under the Barnett government," Mr Verstegen said.

"We call on the federal government not to approve extinction at Yeelirrie."


Mr Verstegen said advice would be sought on whether further legal action was possible.

WA currently has no uranium mines.

A spokeswoman for Mines Minister Bill Johnston confirmed Labor would allow Yeelirrie and three other uranium projects to go ahead because they were previously approved, but would not endorse any new projects.

AAP