Lowry, JBC, Evans, KG, Moliere, DR & Hollingsworth, I 2006, 'Assessing Landscape Reconstruction at the Ranger Mine Using Landform Evolution Modelling', in AB Fourie & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2006: Proceedings of the First International Seminar on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 577-586, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/605_50
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/605_50_Lowry/)
Abstract: The Energy Resources of Australia Ranger Mine (ERARM) mineral lease is surrounded by, but excised from 
the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia (Figure 1). The mine 
site is located on the left bank of Magela Creek and erosion products from the mine may impact the three 
small catchments to the north of the mine – Corridor, Georgetown and Coonjimba Creeks, and the large 
catchment of Gulungul Creek to the west of the mine. Downstream, Magela Creek debouches into the East 
Alligator River through a broad expanse of floodplain and wetlands listed as “Wetlands of International 
Importance” under the Ramsar Convention (http://www.ramsar.org, 2003). The mineral lease, which lies in 
the wet-dry tropics, receives high-intensity storms and tropical monsoons between October and April with 
little rain falling for the remainder of the year. The annual average rainfall is 1480 mm (Bureau of 
Meteorology, 1999).  
The mine has been operational since 1981, with production of uranium concentrate currently planned to 
continue until 2014 (Johnston and Needham, 1999; Hollingsworth and Lowry, 2005). Mining is presently 
underway in the open-cut Pit 3 (Figure 1). Pit 1 is currently being used for tailings deposition, supplementing 
the existing above-grade tailing storage facility. At the completion of mining, tailings from the above-grade 
facility will be transferred to Pit 3, which, along with Pit 1, will be capped. The above-grade waste rock 
dumps will be rehabilitated. With the mine approaching the end of its life, attention is being increasingly 
focussed on the closure and the rehabilitation of the mine. This paper describes the process that will be used 
to assess the long term geomorphic stability of the proposed reconstructed landform. 
 
Figure 1 Location and layout of the Ranger uranium mine 
 
Mine Closure 2006 ― Andy Fourie and Mark Tibbett (eds)
© 2006 Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, ISBN 0-9756756-6-4
Mine Closure 2006, Perth, Australia 577