Green groups fight Kakadu uranium mine plan

Environmental groups have stepped up their campaign to stop the development of another uranium mine in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.

French mining giant Areva wants to open a uranium mine at Koongarra, 30 kilometres south of the Ranger mine in Kakadu.

For the past five years a moratorium has prevented the company negotiating the mineral lease with the area's traditional Aboriginal owners, but today that ban expires.

The Environment Centre of the Northern Territory fears a renewed push to approve the project, which it says could damage wetlands and a key Aboriginal art site and tourist destination.

It is one of five groups that have signed a joint letter to the French ambassador, urging France to abandon the project.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) say laws should be changed to stop mining companies re-approaching traditional Aboriginal owners after they have already rejected mining proposals.

The ACF says the Land Rights Act allows companies to broach new negotiations every five years.

The foundation's Dave Sweeney says traditional owners rejected the proposal in 2000 and at some point the issue needs to be put to rest.

"People have been trying to get Koongarra up since the 1970s," he said.

"We're now at 2005, it's still not up, it should not get up and I'd strongly say that it won't get up.

"But there should just be a time when we say we draw a line under Koongarra and under uranium mining in Kakadu, and that time is now."

The Australian Government has previously said it supports the development of the mining industry within state and federal guidelines.