Mount Gee

Mount Gee (30°13′37″S 139°20′39″E / -30.22694, 139.34417) is located in the northern Flinders Ranges inside the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. It was named after a mining warden, Lionel Gee ^[2].

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Geography

With its peak rising 600 metres above sea level Mount Gee is one of many granite peaks forming a visually spectacular and geologically significant range north-east of the Gammon Ranges and south of the Mawson Plateau. Some of its taller and more well-known neighbours include Mount Painter, The Armchair and Freeling Heights, but recently Mount Gee has come to prominence because of a controversial proposal to mine uranium ore from a nearby deposit.

History

Uranium exploration at Mount Gee first occurred between 1969-1971 ^[1]. There are several deposits of uranium ore located in the general vicinity of Mount Gee, with attempts to exploit a deposit located at nearby Mount Painter for its radium content dating back as early as 1910 ^[3]. In all cases the ore bodies were considered uneconomical to develop at the time.

Tenure and Legal Status

The Arkaroola pastoral lease in which Mount Gee is located was purchased by Margaret and Douglas Sprigg in 1967 for the purposes of "wildlife preservations and conservation of the environment", with this objective being recognised by the South Australian Government initially in 1969 and again (after a long period of limbo) in 1996 with the property being granted official status as a wilderness sanctuary ^[4].

This status was reinforced with the inclusion of the Mount Gee area within the "Environmental Class A Zone" defined in the South Australian Development Plan, which has as its objectives: "The conservation of the natural character and environment of the area" and "The protection of the landscape from damage by mining operations and exploring for new resources" ^[5].

Recent Developments

Mining company Marathon Resources gave notice on or around 14 September 2007 of its intention to apply for a mining lease allowing extraction of uranium ore from Mount Gee. To satisfy the environmental objectives cited above the application forwarded by the proponent indicates an underground mine (as opposed to open-cut) which would be serviced via a tunnel allowing access to infrastructure and processing facilities located away from the immediate vicinity of the Arkaroola area, on the plains near Lake Frome ^[6]. The proposal is opposed by the owners and operators of Arkaroola Wilderness Sancturary in which the proposed mine would be located ^[7] as well as conservation and anti-nuclear groups ^[8].

Further Information

An informative interview with both the mine proponent and the owner/operator of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is available from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's "Bush Telegraph" program web site.

References