Jabiru Hotels

Jabiru is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was originally built in 1982 as a closed town to house the community living at Jabiru East near the Ranger Uranium Mine eight kilometres away. Both the mine and the town are completely surrounded by Kakadu National Park. Jabiru Township is thirteen square kilometres in size. The town is owned as freehold by the Director of National Parks and Wildlife, from which a head lease is held by the Jabiru Town Development Authority (JTDA). The JTDA subleases to the mining company, government agencies and private business. The head lease expires in 2021. The JTDA has delegated local government responsibility to the Jabiru Town Council. The Northern Territory Government is in the process of amalgamating Jabiru Town Council into the West Arnhem Shire in 2008. Jabiru at the 2001 census had a population of 1,521. Apart from the Ranger mine, Jabiru's most notable industries are tourism (it is the commercial and accommodation hub of Kakadu National Park), and Aboriginal arts and culture. Jabiru features a small town plaza that includes a video souvenir shop, a supermarket, bank, tackle shop, cafe, hairdresser, post office, news agency, bank and bakery (behind the fire station) as well as government, Northern Land Council offices, Magistrates Courts and emergency services (Police, Fire and Ambulance). During the Wet season (October to April), Jabiru experiences heavy rain that often results in widespread flooding along the Arnhem Highway and Kakadu Highway. During 2006-07 Jabiru had its biggest wet season cutting both highways. The Arnhem Highway was cut off for several weeks as the West Alligator bridge was severely damaged.