00:04The future of this mining town in Australia's northern tropics is in flux.
00:11Nulamboy's major employer, bauxite miner Rio Tinto, will cease operations in 2029,
00:18but one much smaller business expects to be gone before then.
00:23I don't know what my business looks like in two years' time, so I can't plan for that. So,
00:27like many, many businesses in this town, we've made the decision to pack up and leave.
00:34Blue has called Nulamboy home for 50 years. He's unable to say what the move away from mining will
00:41mean for him, and he's not alone. Who is happy to help next week? Put your hand up. Yep.
00:47Esther has volunteered at the Gove Golf Club for more than a decade,
00:51the community facility also at risk from a declining population.
00:56We have a lot of young people, a lot of young families that just come to Nulamboy and find a
01:03lot of success for their kids through sports, and that's a real special thing for this region.
01:10Nulamboy's only supermarket will close next year, and the town's private GP clinic has already closed
01:17after years of warnings and others packing up.
01:20So the psychology clinic left, the vet left, and they just allowed them to go and ignored the reasons
01:28why they were going. They were saying, why did you put our utilities up if you want us to stay?
01:33Why did you put our rates up?
01:34The clinic's owner pointing the finger squarely at the mining giant that also acts as local council and
01:41landlord for the town. So what has been Rio Tinto's contribution to this transition?
01:47Nothing. Nothing. Other than increasing our rents, our utilities, our rates and our water.
01:55Both Rio Tinto and its municipal service provider for Nulamboy declined requests for interview.
02:02In a statement, a spokesperson for the mining giant simply said it is prepared
02:06to work with all stakeholders ahead of the cessation of bauxite production in 2029.
02:14For those who remain, the fight for their future continues.
02:18As a long-term resident, this is my home and I just want to see it grow and continue to
02:23thrive.
02:23So yeah, totally. It's a challenging task, but we all need to really, you know, get on board and
02:31grow, continue to grow. So yeah, sorry. Yeah. Big dreams for a small town under threat.
