Posted

He could have become one of Australia's richest men but Jeffrey Lee has turned his back on a fortune. As senior custodian of the Koongarra uranium deposit he has decided not to allow mining on his land.

Source: 7.30 NT | Duration: 6min 58sec

Topics: uranium-mining, indigenous-culture, land-rights, aboriginal, nt

Transcript

LOUISA REBGETZ, PRESENTER: He could have become one of Australia's richest men but Jeffrey Lee has turned his back on a fortune. As senior custodian of the Koongarra uranium deposit he has decided not to allow mining on his land. Instead Jeffrey Lee sought to have the area World Heritage listed. Now he's hoping the final chapter of this story will be completed and his land will become part of Kakadu National Park. Emma Masters reports.

EMMA MASTERS, REPORTER: Kakadu Ranger Jeffery Lee is coming to the end of a long journey - a hard fought battle over more than two decades to prevent mining on his traditional land.

DAVE SWEENEY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION: Jeffrey Lee has had quite an amazing journey to protect his traditional estate. He has argued long and hard in places as diverse as Cooinda and Kakadu, in Darwin and Canberra and now in Paris. Jeffrey has argued long and hard against uranium mining on his country.

JEFFREY LEE, TRADITIONAL OWNER: It's been really tiring for me I had so many things on my shoulder, yeah it was too heavy you know and I need to let some load off so I'm pretty happy now.

EMMA MASTERS: Jeffrey Lee is the last surviving member of the Djok clan. His parents died when he was a teenager leaving him as the only traditional owner of land that's become widely known as Koongarra.

JEFFREY LEE, TRADITIONAL OWNER: Just everything on this land is so special to me. You know I hunt here, I go fishing, you know that's bush food that you know you don't have to go to a supermarket.

EMMA MASTERS: Koongarra sits in Kakadu's heartland just a few kilometres from Nourlangie Rock.

DAVE SWEENEY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION: Koongarra is fully surrounded by Kakadu National Park, which is a World Heritage listed park, but Koongarra itself has never been inside Kakadu National Park legally - it obviously is ecologically, environmentally but it's not legally.

EMMA MASTERS: The name Koongarra has become synonymous with public debate about uranium mining. Australian mining company Noranda discovered high-grade uranium here in 1970. Noranda developed an environmental impact statement and negotiated with traditional owners to mine the area.

PETER STEWART, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA NT: In 1981 that proposal was approved so had the company at the time moved under that approval we wouldn't be having this conversation.

JEFFREY LEE, TRADITIONAL OWNER: Back those days you know it was really different - it was a just a, you know, quick decision, you know push push and all of a sudden my family agreed and they wanted this mine to go ahead.

EMMA MASTERS: By the 1990s there was ongoing public protest over uranium mining in the Northern Territory. Hundreds were arrested during demonstrations against the proposed Jabiluka uranium mine. Jeffery Lee also began to voice his concerns about the proposal to mine uranium on his land and a moratorium was placed on the lease.

JEFFREY LEE, TRADITIONAL OWNER: If we do muck around on country, disturbing it a lot then something will happen.

EMMA MASTERS: In his quest to put a stop to the threat of future mining Jeffrey Lee has asked the Federal Government to include Koongarra in Kakadu National Park.

DAVE SWEENEY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION: He's turned his back on a lot of personal wealth. He's stood up to a lot of pressure and he has said that there is a bigger responsibility here - a cultural responsibility. There is a bigger gain here than my personal bank balance and that is looking after country.

JEFFREY LEE, TRADITIONAL OWNER: It is a gift and that gift is always going to be there and that's always going to, they'll always remember when they come, when they'll visit this country, this area.

TONY BURKE, FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: I really admire the bloke - I think he's extraordinary and just the simplicity of his love for country and wanting to see it protected.

EMMA MASTERS: The Federal Government is keen to support Koongarra's inclusion in Kakadu.

TONY BURKE, FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: I think to come out here to Nourlangie Rock and you've got one of the best vistas out there you'd ever have. I don't know that too many tourists come here and say all it needs is a uranium mine.

DAVE SWEENEY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION: It's a very special place, culturally through those stories, the connection to creation stories, through the lightning man stories, through the rock art and environmentally through being a key catchment area - home to some very important flora and fauna.

EMMA MASTERS: The Territory Government has also backed the move to include Koongarra in Kakadu. That's angered the mining sector. Miners say the Government has sent a negative signal to investors by openly stating it doesn't support mining in the region.

PETER STEWART, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA NT: It clearly frustrates the industry and it in fact raises questions about sovereign risk - is the Territory a good place to invest, particularly where large amounts of investment may lead to snap decisions that result in non-support.

EMMA MASTERS: A few months ago, Jeffery Lee travelled to Paris to make a personal plea to UNESCO to make Koongarra a World Heritage Site.

TONY BURKE, FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: I think one of the most precious moments I'll ever get in a job like this was in the middle of the night when I got a call from Paris and it was Jeffrey Lee letting me know that UNESCO had just approved the World Heritage listing.

DAVE SWEENEY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION: It's recognition for Jeffrey, it's recognition for Koongarra and it's a big step and a big push of the momentum to get on with the job to get Koongarra protected forever.

EMMA MASTERS: French energy giant Areva holds the Koongarra mining lease and don't want to let it go.

TONY BURKE, FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: I don't want it to be an ongoing legal game that is simply causing pain for someone who wants to see this concluded and protected.

EMMA MASTERS: Jeffery Lee continues his work as a ranger in Kakadu National Park, with world recognition secured he hopes Koongarra will be included in this special place.

JEFFREY LEE, TRADITIONAL OWNER: I don't want to wait too long - get this thing over and done with it and it'll be there for future generations for people all over the world.

LOUISA REBGETZ: A final meeting between Areva and Jeffrey Lee is yet to happen. We approached Areva for an interview but they declined.