Jeffrey Lee
Jeffrey Lee AM ( * 1971 in Northern Territory, Australia) is the last surviving member of the Aboriginal clans of Djok in the Northern Territory. Lee was very well known in Australia, because he refused to Koongarra, the land of his ancestors, to sell or give to a permit for uranium mining. Jeffrey Lee has a Native Title 12.5 km ² land in which a uranium deposit at about 14,000 tonnes of uranium is, representing a value of five billion AUD (about € 3.65 billion ). He works as a ranger in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, for which he received 1,000 AUD ( about 730 € ) every two weeks.
Koongarra
Koongarra adjacent to the Kakadu National Park, one of the few places in the world that are registered both in the list of UNESCO world natural and in the UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its importance.
12.5 km ² Koongarra area adjacent to the Nourlangie Rock, one of the most visited places in the Kakadu area with hundreds of spiritual sites, burial places, more than 20,000 year old rock paintings and engravings, and other significant places of the Dreamtime, the should also be integrated into the park. In the presentation of the Aboriginal Rainbow Serpent created this country and opened to reveal a huge Blauzungenskink, which may not be awakened.
In Kakadu National Park itself is mined uranium since 1981. The Ranger Uranium Mine, which is now operated by Energy Resources of Australia and in the Rio Tinto Group holds the majority of shares, is located completely within the park. Problems always come up at high tide, because uranium-bearing sludges are transported in the neighborhood. In 2004 uranium anomalies were detected in the groundwater of the deposits Koongarra and Ranger 3 according to one study. The operation of the nearby Jabiluka uranium mine on their traditional lands had with a worldwide recognized protest in 1998 prevented the Mirarr and environmentalists.
Politics and economics
Jeffrey Lee offered 2010 Peter Garrett, Minister for the current Labor government (ALP ), to this country under the condition that it is integrated into the Kakadu National Park. The ALP in the Northern Territory that has ruled since 2005, wanted the expansion of uranium mining, which the previous government of the Liberal Party (LP) had stepped up, constrict and was already then keep in mind that a different government could reverse this policy again. That's why the offer was rejected. Parts of the opposition party, the LP are for uranium mining in the uranium mines Ranger and Jabiluka. Are circulating in the LP considerations, such as a uranium mining could be made possible after the death of Jeffrey Lee. Peter Garrett said in 2010 that the ALP will follow the suggestion of Lee, if she wins the upcoming election.
Lee could be one of the richest men in Australia, but he is modest and restrained. In one of the few interviews he gave, he said in 2007: "I'm not interested in money. I've got a job. I can buy tucker; I can go fishing and hunting. . That's all that matters to me " ( " money does not interest me I have work I can buy food, .. , I can fish and hunt That's all that matters to me. ").
He works in the Kakadu National Park at the station Nourlangie, where he talks about Bush Tucker Man and of the Dreamtime of the Lightning. Lee was - in his own words - a long time under enormous pressure by the French AREVA Group, the world's largest group of nuclear technology, the wanted to eliminate the local uranium.
The Australian Conservation Foundation, the largest Australian Environment Foundation, which criticized the uranium mining in Australia, welcomed the offer by Lee and called 2010 the Australian Federal Government to promote the integration of Koongarra in the park immediately.
Senator Scott Ludlam of the Australian Greens welcomed the proposal by Lee as "wonderful news for locals and all Australians " ( German: " wonderful news for the locals and for all Australians " ) and stated that he and the Greens, the ALP government in the integration of the Koongarra - area will assist in the park.
Since 2005 was the Koongarra Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of AREVA, with the Aborigines and the Northern Land Council in negotiations. The Australian Labor Party in 2007 had given up long proclaimed limit of three uranium mines.
Both the French and the AREVA COGEMA and who persecuted since 1995 mining interests of Koongarra uranium deposit, the Koongarra project drive is currently not progressing further.