A new deal has ensured extensive rehabilitation at the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory will continue, with the aim that the site be returned to Mirrar Traditional Owners in a condition similar to the surrounding Kakadu National Park.

New authority was given to Energy Resources Australia to continue rehabilitation of the former mine after Mirrar Traditional Owners struck a land deal with the Rio Tinto subsidiary and Northern Land Council.

Federal Indigenous Australians minister Malarndirri McCarthy approved the agreement, which will see the land returned to Traditional Owners after the rehabilitation is completed.

"I thank the Mirarr Traditional Owners, Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, Northern Land Council, ERA and Rio Tinto for their collaborative efforts establishing this new authority and land access agreement," the minister said.

Federal Resources and NT minister Madeleine King said ERA could now finish restoring the former mine site after its closure in January 2021 following 40 years operation.

"This means ERA will be able to continue with its obligation to restore Ranger uranium mine to a condition similar to the surrounding Kakadu National Park," Ms King said.

ERA and Rio Tinto's commitment to Ranger's extensive rehabilitation will be overseen by the Federal and NT governments.

The new authority establishes a heritage-parity restoration standard rather than conventional post-mining closure benchmarks, in line with World Heritage values rather than acceptable environmental remediation standards.

It allowed for extended time - after recognition the original January 8, 2026 deadline was insufficient for restoration at the complex site - adaptive scope modification and more TO management, with Mirarr Traditional Owners and Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation holding primary authority over site use and restoration priorities.

The new agreement also establishes a precedent for how Australia regulates complex uranium rehabilitation requirements.

Kakadu National Park's status as a World Heritage Area and its recognition under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act creates dual compliance requirements that shape rehabilitation protocols.

The Ranger site is within the park's 19,804 square kilometre area, which contains diverse wetlands and Aboriginal rock art sites more than 20,000 years old.