Antinuclear

South Australia: battle looms to save Arkaroola from uranium mining

Sanctuary becomes a battleground Brad Crouch, Sunday Mail (SA) , February 13, 2011 A MAMMOTH environmental battle is brewing in the Flinders Ranges, as supporters of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary fight to keep it from being turned into a uranium mine.————-————-IT is a hauntingly beautiful swath of an ancient land, a geological wonderland where, in a quiet moment, you might spot a timid yellow-footed rock wallaby on a “crystal candy mountain”.The Mt Gee area of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, in the northern Flinders Ranges, is one of Australia’s most awe-inspiring landscapes – and also the setting for what looms as one of the biggest environmental battles since the Franklin River protests in Tasmania in the 1980s.
On one side are environmentalists, the tourism industry and high-profile identities such as Senator Nick Minchin and acclaimed photographer Stavros Pippos, and Arkaroola operators the Sprigg family. All want the area put off-limits to miners.
On the other is mineral explorer Marathon Resources, well-connected former Labor Party MPs, Chinese interests and unions who believe a mine can co-exist with the spectacular but sensitive ecology………..the Government will have to decide whether it values mining or the environment the most –

February 14, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News