Consultation through committees and associations

In order to address the broad range of concerns that accompany the sensitive issue of uranium mining it is necessary to have a system of open consultation with all interested parties including the Aboriginal community, government, industry, the general community and special interest groups.

Two specialised committees have been established under the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Regions) Act 1978 to facilitate communications between all interest groups:

Alligator Rivers Region Advisory Committee (ARRAC)
Alligator Rivers Region Technical Committee (ARRTC)

The Alligator Rivers Region Advisory Committee (ARRAC) was established under the principle that the community has a right to know about the impact of uranium mining on the Alligator Rivers Region environment and the people it supports.

Meeting twice a year, ARRAC provides a forum for consultation and information exchange on policy, performance and the effects of uranium mining operations.

Current ARRAC members include an independent chairperson, the Supervising Scientist, Director of National Parks, representatives of Commonwealth and Territory Government departments and agencies for mineral resources, environment and radiation protection, representatives of the Northern Land Council, community groups, including other Aboriginal associations and the Jabiru Town Council, environment groups, and mining company representatives.

All material presented at ARRAC meetings is open to the public and includes:

summary and interpretation of check monitoring data by the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines;
audit and inspection outcomes for the mines (conducted by the Office of the Supervising Scientist).

For more information on supervision see supervision of uranium mining activities in ARR.

The Alligator Rivers Region Technical Committee (ARRTC) meets twice a year and provides a forum for discussion on the research needed to maintain a satisfactory level of environmental protection in the Alligator Rivers Region. The Technical Committee makes recommendations to the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts on research necessary to protect and restore the environment in the Alligator Rivers Region from the effects of uranium mining and on the most appropriate organisations to undertake the research. These recommendations and other matters relating to environmental research programs are conveyed to ARRAC.