THE MINES: WHAT DO THEY CONTRIBUTE?

The Ranger mine was constructed at a cost of $326 million (1980 dollars). A further $62 million was spent on construction of Jabiru.

ERA paid $407 million (1980 dollars) to the Government for the Government's rights to the uranium resource.

Since 1980, ERA has generated more than $2.8 billion in sales revenue. Until June 1995, Ranger contributed $198 million in wages, $27 million as an export levy (to fund the Office of the Supervising Scientist (OSS)), $119 million in Commonwealth royalties (earmarked for distribution to Aboriginal communities), $35 million in royalties to the Northern Territory and $562 million in tax. In 1995/96 the mine employed about 215 people.

$639 million has been distributed in dividends to shareholders from a net profit of $687 million.

In 1993, ACIL Economics and Policy assessed Ranger's contribution to the Australian economy at $5.3 billion (1992 dollars).

Some similar figures in relation to the Olympic Dam Operation are as follows: Prior to the newly-announced development, WMC had invested more than $1.1 billion. Direct employment stands at 1,000 people.

Since the mine opened in 1988, South Australia has earned $45 million in royalties, (set against a government input of $38 million to infrastructure), $13 million stamp duty on purchase of BP share of investment, $16 million in payroll tax and a payment of $2.14 million on the mineral lease.

Income earned each year by Australia from Olympic Dam exports is about $270 million.

Some more selected figures on the operating results of the Ranger and Olympic Dam mines are in Appendix 1.6.