ERA is committed to protecting the environment.
We employ strategies to protect the physical and cultural environments that we operate in including preventative monitoring operations and community engagement activities to ensure that we can create a positive legacy and achieve world-class, sustainable rehabilitation.
The Mirarr Traditional Owners
ERA is working alongside the Mirarr Traditional Owners to achieve the world-class sustainable rehabilitation of the Ranger Project Area.
Mirarr country encompasses the Ranger Project Area and the Jabiluka Mineral Lease, the town of Jabiru and parts of Kakadu National Park, including the wetlands of the Jabiluka billabong country and the sandstone escarpment of Mount Brockman.
The Mirarr hold beneficial freehold title to traditional country via the Kakadu and Jabiluka Land Trusts and in accordance with the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
In 1995, the Mirarr established the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, an incorporated body, to assist them to manage a balance between sustainable development and traditional practice on their land and to direct income from mining royalties across a wide range of fields and activities that cover heritage, economic and community development, education, training and employment.
The Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation represents the Mirarr Traditional Owners in discussions and negotiations with ERA on matters of mutual interest. This includes water management, cultural heritage and environmental protection, employment and training, housing and town planning, involvement in decision making processes, royalties, and the future of mining at Ranger.
Mining Agreement
In January 2013 a suite of agreements covering the Ranger Project Area were executed by the Mirarr Traditional Owners, ERA, the Northern Land Council, and the Commonwealth Government. These agreements provide a structured approach for engagement and collaboration between the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation and ERA.
The agreements resulted in the formation of a relationship committee with ERA to promote information sharing and collaboration and an agreed approach to increasing opportunities for local Aboriginal participation in business development, training and employment.
The Mirarr Traditional Owners are represented via the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation on the Closure Criteria Committee Working Group and are formal members of the Ranger Technical Committee.
Memorandum of Understanding
ERA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the future of Jabiru Township, acknowledging its importance as the gateway to dual-World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park and as the service center for those living in the West Arnhem Region. ERA and the Gunjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation share intentions and commitments to work together to support the Jabiru township transition post-mining and develop the town into an ecologically sustainable, economically and socially vibrant community.
Read more about ERA’s physical and cultural sustainability strategies, activities and policies below.