Energy Resources In Australia Research Articles

Resolving long-term issues related to surface water management and monitoring associated with the Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia

Conflicts between indigenous people and mining companies have occurred in many countries and over many years, with the pressure for mining companies to improve their performance leading to a growth of corporate social responsibility concepts. Energy Resources of Australia and the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation (representing the Mirarr people) sought to resolve a number of long-standing issues relating to surface water management and monitoring associated with the Ranger Uranium Mine. This article summarises the process adopted and discusses the main factors that underpinned the success of the project.

Ranger Uranium Mine and the Mirarr (Part 1), 1970–2000: The risks of ‘riding roughshod’

The Mirarr struggle against uranium mining on their ancestral lands commenced in the 1970s, when the Australian government disregarded Mirarr opposition to the development of the Ranger mine and exempted the community from exercising rights granted to First Peoples under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. This paved the way for construction of Ranger and the adjacent town of Jabiru. Ranger has been a continuing source of conflict between the Mirarr and their representative organisation (the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation), the Northern Land Council, the mine's operator (Energy Resources of Australia), and the Commonwealth government ever since. This paper, the first of two charting the relationship over time between Mirarr and Energy Resources of Australia, examines the history and legacy of Ranger and the proposed Jabiluka uranium development. Reporting on primary data gathered during interviews with key stakeholders in the mining company, Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, Jabiru community, regulatory agencies and other knowledgeable respondents, it finds that there was systematic indifference to the impacts of mining on Mirarr and limited regulatory oversight. The paper employs the interpretive lenses of rights, social and business risk, and social impact in order to understand the legacies of the mine and to present a modern interpretation of Ranger's history.

Ranger uranium mine and the Mirarr (Part 2), 2000–2014: ‘A risk to them is a risk to us’

Reporting on data obtained from field research comprising interviews with key stakeholders, participant observation and shadowing of a senior member of the company's community relations team, this paper examines recent milestones in the relationship between Energy Resources of Australia, the operator of the Ranger uranium mine in Australia's Northern Territory, and Mirarr, the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the mine is located. Historically, this relationship was characterised by conflict and mistrust, with attendant negative social impacts and business risks, and perceptions of social risks. However, in the last 15 years, the mining company has adopted a changed approach to community engagement and actively has sought to respect and enable the rights of Mirarr. Using the lenses of human rights, social risk, business risk and social impact, the paper argues that the company's changed approach to engagement with its principal stakeholders has led to more positive and mutually beneficial development outcomes, a reduction in business risks, and the enabling of Mirarr rights. This paper constitutes the second of two papers charting the relationship over time between Mirarr and Energy Resources of Australia.

The First Four Wells: Unconventional Gas in Australia

The First Four Wells: Unconventional Gas in Australia

RETRACTED: A review of geothermal energy resources in Australia: Current status and prospects

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy ). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. This article contains substantial overlap with the following source: 2010 "Australian Energy Resource Assessment" (AERA) report published by Geoscience Australia and the Department of Resources Tourism and Energy (see: http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/gcat_70142 ) The corresponding author had obtained permission from Geoscience Australia to use this source in preparing a report to be published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. However, the Editor-in-Chief views the role of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews to publish original and previously unpublished research, and therefore deems the level of similarity with this previous work, coupled with lack of citation, to undermine the suitability of the article to be published in this journal We regret that this problem was not detected before the article was accepted for publication in the journal.

New data and ideas for energy exploration in Australia

Ned Stolz, Geoscience Australia, describes a major government initiative to encourage regional exploration for energy resources in Australia involving the acquisition of seismic\MT, airborne electromagnetics, radiometrics and magnetic data focused on petroleum, uranium, thorium, and geothermal energy systems.

Examples of successful architectural integration of PV: Australia

AbstractAn abundance of solar energy resources in Australia and the application of remote area power systems (RAPS) are well known. Numerous locations, isolated from the electricity grid have benefited from photovoltaic energy supply with economic justification and provided a platform from which the scientific knowledge and expertise has grown over 30 years. Of current global relevance is the transition and growth of photovoltaic applications in the urban environment through building‐integrated PV (BiPV) and its use as a clever building material. Energy market dynamics in Australia and low‐priced fossil fuels limit the present market potential for BiPV. Showcase projects and government programmes have provided the much needed impetus to develop and introduce BiPV products to the building industry and, importantly, experiment with architectural design solutions that strive to offer added benefits to the built environment. This paper discusses examples of successful integration of PV and lessons learnt in the process. The importance of high ambient temperature conditions, thermal performance and smart electrical configurations to minimise shading influences, are considered to be particularly relevant. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Development of Energy Resources in Australia: 1981 to 1990

The Development of Energy Resources in Australia: 1981 to 1990

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION—AUSTRALIAN CASE HISTORIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Five recent case histories of environmental concern over proposed projects involving energy resources in Australia are reviewed.Queensland: The Great Barrier Reef Royal Commission, involving proposed exploration offshore for hydrocarbons;New South Wales: The Clutha Controversy, involving proposed transport and loading facilities to export coal;Victoria: The Port Phillip Bay gas pipeline;Tasmania: Lake Pedder, involving a proposal to flood the lake for the production of hydro electric power;Northern Territory: The Top End National Park, involving proposals to exploit newly discovered uranium resources.The social and legal implications of these activities are discussed, with particular emphasis on the possibility of future laws being enacted to conserve Australia's resources and environment. Special reference is made to the energy industry in general and petroleum in particular.