CANBERRA Australia AP Australia's conservative government has defied a U.N. body's declaration that Kakadu National Park is a World Heritage area saying it will allow uranium mining within the park. ``We are quite satisfied with all the Australian processes for approval of the mine'' Australian Environment Minister Robert Hill said. The U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization had recommended that all mining activities cease at the mine even as it gave the Australian government six months to respond to the ruling. The U.N. panel said the mine which could process 19.5 million metric tons of uranium ore over its 28-year life could damage the environment. Environment Minister Hill however said a comprehensive rebuttal would be compiled to refute the UNESCO report which he has described as superficial and unbalanced. He added that he would not stop uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia from carrying out its planned mining of uranium at the site which is still 18 months away. ``The mine is not in a world heritage listed area nor in a national park and it will cause neither environmental nor cultural damage'' Hill said. UNESCO's report made after only a four-day visit to the mine site ignored the enormous body of evidence gathered over 18 years of mining at Ranger located just 12 miles 20 km from Jabiluka he said. The local Mirrar Aboriginal people have been among the most vocal critics of the project which although actually inside the Northern Territory national park has been technically excluded as an enclave within it. Australia's environmental groups reacted immediately to Hill's announcement saying it would seriously damage Australia's reputation. Greens party Senator Bob Brown said ``Even major uranium buyers like France Japan and the U.S. members of the World Heritage Committee voted to stop this obscene mine.'' ``If Australia defies the world umpire on the World Heritage Convention no treaty will be seen as safe'' Brown added. Environmentalists say reputable surveys show that 82 percent of Australians oppose mining in areas like Kakadu. They claim that the government's rebuttal of the UNESCO report shows it to be both arrogant and out of touch with its own people and the rest of the world. Kakadu is almost 12000 square miles 31200 sq. km. of flood plains and plateau on Australia's north coast with waterfalls and hundreds of animal species including many that are rare or endangered. The park is one of a handful listed for both environmental and cultural values. About 200000 tourists visit the park every year. APW19981201.1395.txt.body.html APW19981201.1444.txt.body.html