Jabiru Kabolkmakmen to guide the future of Jabiru

In what was a landmark statement for Jabiru on Wednesday, July 31, the Territory Government and Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation announced a new partnership, Jabiru Kabolkmakmen Ltd (JKL), a company that will guide the township in its transition to a post-mining future.
This exciting announcement took place outside the new JKL office located in the Jabiru Town Plaza with a great crowd in attendance including traditional owners, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Member for Arnhem Selena Uibo MLA, Member for Arafura Lawrence Costa MLA, Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation representatives, Department of the Chief Minister, West Arnhem Regional Council Mayor Matthew Ryan and Deputy Mayor Anna Egerton as well as a great number of stakeholders and community members.
Traditional Owner Simon Mudjandi welcomed all those in attendance and to officially celebrate the opening, Simon and Ms Uibo proudly cut a red ribbon to the new office.
The Government is investing $135.5 million over four years to transition Jabiru to the tourism and cultural centre of Kakadu National Park, following the closure of the Ranger Uranium Mine in 2021.
In line with the Government’s local decision making agenda the future of Jabiru will be guided by the Mirarr traditional owners. 
And their vision is to transform Jabiru into a world leading, ecologically sustainable hub for Aboriginal culture that will continue to attract visitors from across the globe is outlined in the Jabiru Masterplan, which will guide the work of JKL.
JKL will support the transition of housing ownership and maintenance, business premises and other infrastructure and investigate options to diversify the regional economy post-mining, and will be overseen by a Board of Directors, led by an independent chairperson.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Selena Uibo said “Jabiru is, and always has been, Aboriginal land. As the Member for Arnhem, I have heard clearly and consistently that the Mirarr traditional owners want to see Jabiru become a thriving hub for tourism, regional services and Aboriginal culture.
 “We are supporting the Mirarr people to unlock the social and economic potential of their land, which will not just improve the lives of Aboriginal Territorians but will benefit all Territorians.”
Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation Chairwoman Valerie Balmoore said, “Mirarr will always be here to look after this country, we are happy to be working with the Government to make sure Jabiru is a great town for everyone. 
“We have a great opportunity to show and explain the World Heritage values of Kakadu to give tourists a more meaningful experience and to connect with other Indigenous groups worldwide.
“Bininj (Aboriginal) people have lived here for over 65,000 years and there is a lot the world can learn about sustainable living from that history. Jabiru will be a place where we can explore new partnerships for sustainability.”
Jabiru Kabolkmakmen CEO Stefan Hladenki said the new office provides community members the opportunity to pop in and have a chat about the future of Jabiru.