Radioactive Show - Mirarr Land Handback

On Today’s show we celebrate with Mirarr Traditional owners about the returning of their land after a four-decades long fight for traditional ownership at Jabiru, within the World-Heritage listed Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. In late June this year, Mirrar Traditional owners were granted freehold title over the town of Jabiru, under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act, the first of its kind in Australia. This fight for land rights, has been led by senior traditional owner Yvonne Margarula, and begun in 1978 when the town was built on what was then Crown land without the involvement or permission of Traditional Owners. The native title claim was lodged by Yvonne Margarula in 1998, which was finally decided by the Federal Court in 2016 after one of Australia’s longest-running native title matters.This week we hear from Corben Mudjandi, a Mirarr Traditional Owner and nephew of Yvonne, who tells us about the response of the community and the plans for Jabiru now that it’s been handed back. We also speak to Kirsten Blair from the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Coorporation about the history of the land rights struggle, the impacts of the Ranger Uranium mine, and what it means for the future of Jabiru. And, although this is a celebration, we also hear about the problems associated with the Ranger Uranium Mine rehabilitation plan from long-time anti-nuclear campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation, Dave Sweeney.