Undermining the Outback? No Boundaries in Race to Mine Northern Territory's Special Places

Recently released government maps show that huge areas of the Northern Territory currently have no or very limited protection from mining. Further analysis shows this includes some of the most special and loved natural places of the Northern Territory including:

• National Parks, including major tourist destinations such as Litchfield National Park.
• Areas of national and international conservation significance such as the recently declared Limmen National Park.
• Major rivers and wetlands such as the Daly River.

The following examples are an illustration of the high current levels of proposed mining activity in the special places of the Northern Territory. These figures and graphs do not include area coverage of petroleum and gas interests, which has also grown extensively in the last few years (see Map 2.)

For a Northern Territory overview see the attached Northern Territory government maps of current mining interests for both minerals (Map 1.) and Petroleum (including gas and oil Map 2.)

Table 1. Mining interests by % area coverage in selected Northern Territory government maps of current mining interests for both minerals (Map 1) and Petroleum (including gas and oil Map 2).

Figure 1. Mining interests by % area coverage in NT special places (excluding petroleum oil and gas interests).

Map 1. Mineral Exploration in the Northern Territory 2012.

Map 2. Petroleum exploration and mining (includes gas) in the Northern Territory 2012.