Australia's ERA sues resources minister after lease for Jabiluka uranium deposit not renewed (updated)

Boss Energy

06/08/2024 09:22

(Recasts and writes through)
       Aug 6 (Reuters) - Energy Resources of Australia (ERA)
 ERA.AX  said on Tuesday it was suing Australia's resources
minister and others after its lease for a high-grade uranium
deposit was not renewed, saying it hadn't been given the
opportunity to make its case.
    The proposed development of the Jabiluka uranium deposit in
Australia's Northern Territory, which is surrounded by the world
heritage-listed Kakadu rainforest, has been strongly opposed by
the local Mirarr people, and sparked some of the country's
biggest environmental protests in the late 1990s.
    Last month, the Northern Territory's government, on advice
from the Federal Government, declined to renew ERA's Jabiluka
lease. Shortly after, uranium miner Boss Energy  BOE.AX 
withdrew an offer to pay ERA A$550 million ($360 million) for
the site.
    ERA said on Tuesday it had started legal proceedings against
Resources Minister Madeleine King and the Northern Territory's
Minister for Mining Mark Monaghan as well as the Jabiluka
Aboriginal Land Trust in the Federal Court of Australia.
    It was "denied procedural fairness and natural justice in
the decision-making process," ERA argued in a statement, adding
that it has asked the court to hear its application before the
lease expires on August 11.
    King's office did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
    Rio Tinto  RIO.AX , which owns roughly 80% of ERA but does
not operate it, has said it will not support any development of
the project given the Mirarr people's opposition.

 (Reporting by Shivangi Lahiri in Bengaluru; Additional
reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Nivedita
Bhattacharjee and Edwina Gibbs)
 ((Shivangi.Lahiri@thomsonreuters.com;))