Jacky Green’s painting Landscape with Mine (2011) of the Phase 1 of the mine’s development. Courtesy the artist and Cross Art Projects.
McArthur River Mine (MRM) is located in the remote top end, sitting just below the Gulf of Carpentaria and about 65km south-west of the town Borroloola. Purchased by the Swiss mining giant GlencoreXstrata in 2003, the lead-zinc-silver mine – notably one of the world’s largest zinc deposits – has been on an aggressive expansion program since it converted to open cut mining, first proposed in 2006, and which saw the diverting of the McArthur River 5.5 kilometers – a river of great cultural and environmental significance. Simply ‘Country needs water’ says ranger and artist Jacky Green.
