In the Northern Territory Aboriginal medical groups are calling for the funding of a long-term study into the causes behind a cancer cluster and high foetal death rates among Aboriginal populations near the Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu.
A study conducted by the Health Department found cancer rates among Aboriginal populations in the Kakadu region were double that of other Aboriginal populations in the Territory, and the number of still births was 22 times higher.
The study found no evidence that radiation from the now defunct mine caused the cancer cluster, but Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance CEO John Paterson says more research is needed.
Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation head Justin O’Brien says industrial mining does have an impact on nearby communities.
