Uranium explorer Cameco Corporation has admitted on Friday that the decision by the Northern Territory government to block its mining project near Alice Springs caught the company off-guard as it lamented that the initiative would carry industry-wide repercussions.

The NT government reversed itself on Tuesday when it announced that no uranium mining site would be allowed near the area of Alice Spring, citing that snowballing community protests against the mining activities prompted its policy reversal.

The decision came following earlier overtures made by the territory government to encourage mining prospect exploration on its area of jurisdiction but it stunned the industry on its sudden change of heart as a scheduled by-election in the territory nears.

Government representatives contended later this week that Cameco Corporation and other entities with stakes on the mining area were duly forewarned prior to its policy announcement but Cameco maintained that it was surprised by the decision.

The company requested the NT government for a formal meeting so it could obtain a formal briefing on the territory's new policy and get more explanations on the government's retreat from the previous agreement.

Cameco spokeswoman Jennifer Parkes claimed that the NT government attempts to inform her about its decision apparently came too late or only less than a day prior to its public announcement.

Ms Parkes said that she was in Canada when Minister Kon Vatskalis gave her a call but since it was already night time in the country "I had my phone off and I didn't get that message until the morning."