traditional owners back more uranium mining

Wednesday June 25, 2008, 8:24 am

The chairman of the Adnyamathana Traditional Lands Association says he will support greater mining of uranium on his community's land.

An affiliate of Heathgate Resources, Quasar, lodged an application last month for a mining lease just north of the Beverley uranium mine in outback South Australia.

Vince Coulthard says while all the traditional Land is sacred, he must note the benefits from mining.

"Let there be some benefit from it for the people. Where a mine don't happen today it will happen there tomorrow," he said.

"The people have talked about where you can't stop it you gan get something from it.

"I think Heathgate and Quasar's developed, certainly Heathgate's developed, a relationship with the Adnyamathana people over the years.

"We're like every other community, not everybody agrees and what we look at is trying to get some sort of consensus or look at what long-term benefits it's going to give us."