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Ranger Uranium Project: Government Agreement as Amended (12 September 1980)
Date:	12 September 1980
Sub Category:	Joint Venture Agreement \| Commercial Agreement
Place:	Ranger Project Area
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State/Country:	Northern Territory, Australia
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	The Ranger Project area is 250 km east of Darwin surrounded by the Kakadu National Park.
Subject Matter:	Mining and Minerals
Summary Information:
The Ranger Uranium Project: Government Agreement as Amended (the Agreement) was entered into on the 12 September 1980 between the Commonwealth of Australia (the Commonwealth), Peko-Wallsend Operations Ltd. (Peko), Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Limited (EZ), Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) and Energy Resources of Australia Limited (ERA). The Agreement amended an earlier Government Agreement dated the 9 January 1979 and entered into between the Commonwealth, Peko, EZ and AAEC. By Deeds dated the 12 September 1980, Peko, EZ and AAEC each sold and assigned the whole of their respective interests and the whole of their rights and obligations under the Government Agreement to ERA and the Commonwealth sold and assigned to ERA the Commonwealth's share of concentrates of Ranger uranium ore and other mineral products. To give effect to the changes made by the Deeds of 12 September 1980, the parties agreed by further Deed (Deed to amend the Government Agreement) of the 12 September 1980 that ERA should become a party to the Government Agreement and that the Government Agreement be amended accordingly. The amended Government Agreement is known as the Government Agreement as Amended, which is referred to here as 'the Agreement'.
Detailed Information:
The Agreement provides for the carrying out of a venture for the following objects: the discovery, development, proving up and mining of uranium ore deposits within the Ranger Project Area (RPA); the construction, operation and maintenance of a mine and treatment plant for the production of Ranger uranium concentrates and other mineral products; the delivery of uranium concentrates and other mineral products to the Commonwealth; and the treatment of uranium bearing ores mined outside the RPA. The venture was to be conducted as a commercial venture and in accordance with good commercial, mining and industrial practice, with the intention that it would continue during the economic life of the uranium ore deposits in the RPA. The Agreement deals with the operations and management of the venture and contains provisions relating to an Agreement between the Commonwealth and the Northern Land Council under section 44 of the ALRA (s 44 Agreement), covering such issues as: environmental requirements; Aboriginal liaison; employment and training of Aborigines; local business development; control of liquor; restricted areas; rights of Traditional Owners; instructions in Aboriginal culture; and payments under the s 44 Agreement. The Agreement deals also with other matters such as: rehabilitation of the RPA; the production or recovery of other mineral products within the RPA; the treatment of uranium bearing ores mined outside the RPA; taxation; defaults and remedies; arbitration; assignment and charging; replacement of stockpile borrowings; payments to the Northern Territory pursuant to the MOU; reporting; confidentiality; use of airstrip, roads and facilities; notices and payments. Annexed to the Agreement is the s 44 Agreement, and an Authority under section 41 of the Atomic Energy Act 1953.