Uranium in Australia has opposition from anti-uranium groups...

Uranium in Australia has opposition from anti-uranium groups worried about bombs, nuclear reactors having meltdowns, and what to do with the waste. Lithium, on the other hand, is a resource that is already well known as being environment friendly and is going to be used in transport much more widely in the very near future. The Li market is going to grow significantly but the Chileans aren't interested, it seems. Maybe that's why they're still regarded as third world.