By Damon Rowston
As a child, my family took me to visit the town of Jabiru. Jabiru, which is situated 255 km from Darwin, was a tourist hub surrounded by Australia’s largest national park, Kakadu. You could see avid fisherman trying their luck at Kakadu’s many billabongs, miners coming into town to grab supplies and families such as mine competing to spot the largest crocodile. The town felt alive, there was economic support.
Jabiru was built to house the indigenous communities situated around the site of Ranger Uranium Mine. The mine promised much needed financial support for the traditional owners, the Mirrar people. Ranger Mine was a uranium mine situated 8 kilometres from Jabiru.
The Mirrar people “formally rejected” the mines plan to further expand after multiple fires and environmental contaminations. Alongside a drop-in Uranium stock, owners ERA decided to announce the mine's closure by January 8th 2021. Part of ERA’s deal promised that land rehabilitation would be complete by January 8th 2026.
Justin O’Brien is a resident of Jabiru and passionate CEO of the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation. Justin could spare some time in his busy schedule to describe the town of Jabiru. He said, "you see old 1980’ s brick veneer housing, empty shops at the plaza. You find yourself disorientated” a lack of funding in infrastructure has led to signage ineffectiveness.
Gundjeihmi was founded by the Mirrar people, to protect the rights and interests of the people. Justin said that when the mine was agreed to, the Mirrar people thought it’d fix all financial issues and no one wanted to face the “hard facts” once mining was complete. The land that Jabiru is situated is currently commonwealth land. Gundjeihmi is fighting to bring the land back to the original Aboriginal owners, the Mirrar people.
Justin said that Jabiru “needs to have sympathy for the park” stating that “ you see a purpose-built mining town rather than a town in the park” he said. Kakadu national park surrounds Jabiru. During the dry season, tourists flock to the water holes to grab pictures, fish and admire the Territories unique tropical flora and fauna. The flock of tourists financially stabilises Jabiru.
The Mercure Crocodile Hotel (which is literally shaped like a Crocodile), local IGA and bakery, situated in the plaza have a steady flow of customers during the tourist season (the dry season). The dry season lasts for less than half the year, from May to October. The Wet season takes up most the year from November to April. High humidity, tropical storms, and scorching 40-degree maximums repel tourists during the wet.
Justin is working with the Mirrar people to make Jabiru “native land” under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Jabiru is currently “commonwealth land,” he said “the lease for Jabiru runs out in 2021” after which the land will become once again “aboriginal land”.
During the election both Labor and Liberal party’s promised funding for Jabiru and Kakadu. The government has promised a package of $216 million towards Jabiru and Kakadu. Justin said “$35 million is to go to Jabiru’s remediation fund” and about “$134 million for Kakadu”.
The Mirrar people, in collaboration with the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, have created a ‘master plan for Jabiru’ Justin said. The plan is a list of potential goals written out by the Mirrar people for the future of the land that Jabiru’s situated on. The plan includes recognition of the “6 thousand-year occupation of the indigenous people to the land” it “includes close to zero carbon emissions” taking Jabiru “from a diesel town” to an environmentally clean one that is conscious of the environment that surrounds the town.
When my family went to Jabiru, we stayed in the crocodile-shaped hotel. In the pool, at the hotel, I almost drowned, though am thankfully still alive and able to write this story. Although, Kakadu’s in a state similar to the state that I was at the bottom of the pool Justin hopes that after the “head lease runs out” Jabiru will go back to its native owners the Mirrar people who, with assistance from the government, will turn Jabiru around post-Ranger Mine.