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Australia, Western: Uranium Mining

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Encyclopedia of Mineral and Energy Policy

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Introduction

Mining is a highly significant part of Western Australia’s economy. While in 2014–2015, declining commodity prices had a significant impact upon the contribution of mining to Western Australia’s economy, the resources sector continued to be a significant economic contributor to the State, worth $5.9 billion in royalty revenue (Department of Mines & Petroleum Western Australia 2014–2015).

Uranium mining in Australia has generated heated debate (Wu et al. 2008). Australia, along with Canada and Kazakhstan, is one of the world’s largest producers and is thought to have the largest known uranium reserves in the world (Commonwealth of Australia 2006). Uranium mining in Australia is governed by a complex regulatory framework of parliamentary acts, regulations, codes, and guidelines, administered at both a Federal and State/Territory level (Uranium Advisory Group 2012). In 2008, the Western Australian Liberal Government overturned an 8-year ban on uranium mining, instituted by a...

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Abbreviations

ARPANS Act:

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (Cth)

ARPANSA:

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

EIA:

Environmental Impact Assessment

EP Act:

Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA)

EPBC Act:

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)

Mining Act:

Mining Act 1978 (WA)

MSIA:

Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA)

MSIR:

Mines Safety and Inspection Mining 1978 (WA)

RCWA:

Radiological council of Western Australia

RSA:

Radiation Safety Act 1975 (Cth)

RSGR:

Radiation Safety (General) Regulations 1983 (WA)

RWMP:

Radiation waste management plan

References

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  • Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (Cth)

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  • Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (August 2005). Code of practice and safety guide: radiation protection and radioactive waste management in mining and mineral processing: Radiation Protection Series Publication No. 9

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  • Commonwealth of Australia (December 2006) Uranium mining, processing and nuclear energy – opportunities for Australia? Report to the prime minister by the uranium mining, processing and nuclear energy review taskforce (December 2006)

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  • Government of Western Australia Inter-Agency Working Group, Department of Mines and Petroleum (August 2009). Review of regulatory adequacy for uranium mining development in Western Australia

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  • Mining Act 1978 (WA)

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  • Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA)

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  • Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 (WA)

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  • Radiation Safety Act 1975 (WA)

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  • Radiation Safety (General) Regulations 1983 (WA)

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  • Uranium Advisory Group, Australian Centre for Geomechanics (April 2012). Independent review of uranium mining regulation: prepared for the department of mines and petroleum, Western Australia

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  • Wu J, Garnett ST, Barnes T (2008) Beyond an energy deal: impacts of the Sino-Australia uranium agreement. Energy Policy 36:413–422

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  • Wylynko B (2009) The regulation of Uranium mining in Western Australia: Ban Lifted. Mondaq Business Briefing. Available at http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/86860/Mining/The+Regulation+Of+Uranium+Mining+In+Western+Australia+Ban+Lifted. Accessed 16 Feb 2016

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Desert Native Title Services Limited, Perth, WA, Australia

    Tessa Herrmann

Authors
  1. Tessa Herrmann
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Correspondence to Tessa Herrmann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Montanuniversität Leoben, Leoben, Austria

    Günter Tiess

  2. Kolkata, India

    Tapan Majumder

  3. The university of Dundee Center for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral, Dundee, United Kingdom

    Peter Cameron

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© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Herrmann, T. (2016). Australia, Western: Uranium Mining. In: Tiess, G., Majumder, T., Cameron, P. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mineral and Energy Policy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40871-7_130-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40871-7_130-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-40871-7

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