World Heritage at Risk

JABILUKA | THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

Kakadu National Park is listed under the UN World Heritage Convention for both natural and cultural values, which make it a place of global significance, literally part of the common heritage of planet earth.

Kakadu is listed for three natural and two cultural criteria, all five of which are directly threatened by uranium mining at Jabiluka:

Late in 1998, at the invitation of the Mirrar, a mission from the World Heritage Bureau visited Kakadu and spoke to the major stakeholders in the area, including the Federal Government and ERA, the mining company. In November, they handed down their findings: unless the Australian Government could convince them otherwise, in six months Kakadu would be declared World Heritage in Danger. They also recommended that construction be halted immediately. This has already caused incredible embarrasment to ERA and the government.

The Department of Foreign Affairs then developed a heavy lobbying strategy to try and convince members of the World Heritage Committee to reverse their decision and give their blessing to this mine.

"We are absolutely determined to prosecute this case, as I said earlier, in a principled but determined way."

"And we will as we do when we lobby for Australian interests, as we did in the climate change negotiations, we will promote Australia's interests with a considerable degree of energy - and I very much hope with success."
- Alexander Downer

Although a spokesman for Senator Hill, the Environment Minister said it was "no secret" and described the lobbying effort as "principled and low-key" the report states that 'Overcoming this disposition [that many of the Committee members would go along with the thrust of the Mission report] before the July meeting of the World Heritage Committee will be a difficult task; requiring a coordinated, resource-intensive effort across a range of portfolios and both domestically and internationally.'

Australia's Foreign Affairs Department officials compiled an "analysis of upcoming candidacies", identified "decision-makers and pressure points", and developed "country-specific lobbying efforts" targeting countries on the committee including United States, Canada and France.

Government representatives travelled to Mexico, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Washington, Ireland and London as part of the lobbying effort and spent more than $1 million dollars of taxpayers money.

Their actions bought the government and mining company some time: a decision on listing Kakadu as 'in danger' was deferred until July 2000, when another investigative mission was sent. The future of Kakadu is still in the balance.