Thursday, 27 September, 2007

The Age

A fourth potential site for a radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory will be assessed for its suitability, Science Minister Julie Bishop says.

The federal government has already examined three possible sites for the storage of low- to medium-grade nuclear waste in the NT - at Harts Range, Mount Everard and Fishers Ridge.

In May, the Northern Land Council offered up part of Muckaty Station, 120km north of Tennant Creek, for a radioactive materials repository, in exchange for $12 million from the government.

Ms Bishop said the government had formally accepted the council's nomination of land for the nuclear facility.

"After consideration of the evidence presented to me by the Northern Land Council, I am satisfied that the council's decision to nominate the land accords with the wishes of the traditional Aboriginal owners of that land," Ms Bishop said.

"I am also satisfied that other Aboriginal groups potentially affected by the nomination have had adequate opportunity to express their views to the Northern Land Council."

A detailed assessment of Muckaty Station's physical and biological environment would be carried out to determine if it was suitable for a nuclear waste storage facility, Ms Bishop said.

A spokesman for Ms Bishop said the assessment was expected to take several months and would be followed by a fuller scientific assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

A final decision on which of the four potential sites would be chosen for a radioactive repository would not be made until next year, he said.

The government has already passed laws that prevent third-party legal challenges to any land council's decision to nominate part of its land for a nuclear waste repository.

Northern Land Council (NLC) chief executive Norman Fry later welcomed the decision, saying it was "in the national interest".

"The minister's formal approval of the NLC's nomination means that scientific work can now commence," he said.

Mr Fry said the Ngapa traditional owners of the land overwhelmingly supported the waste facility, provided the environmental assessment was positive.

"The NLC's comprehensive consultations during 2006 and 2007 also establish that there is substantial support for the waste facility from neighbouring Aboriginal groups on Muckaty Station, with only a few individuals in neighbouring groups expressing concerns," he said.

However, a nuclear waste site in the territory has been opposed by environmentalists, the NT government and some traditional owners.

Last month, Prime Minister John Howard refused to hold a referendum on the matter in the territory after the NT parliament passed a motion calling on the commonwealth to offer Territorians the chance to vote.

"We will not allow the federal government to dump its political problems on the territory without a fight," NT Environment Minister Delia Lawrie said.

Mr Fry said Ms Bishop's approval overrode Northern Territory legislation of 2004, which prohibits any environmental assessment of land for a radioactive waste facility.

Labor senator Trish Crossin said the commonwealth was trampling over the wishes of the NT government and territorians.

"The radioactive dump that territorians were told would not be placed in the NT has now come a step closer to being in the heart of the territory," she said.

"The wishes of territorians and the NT government have been overridden and treated with contempt by the federal government."

Senator Crossin said a Labor government would repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act, calling it "bad law and bad policy".

"A Rudd Labor government is committed to a site selection process which looks to agreed scientific grounds for determining suitability, along with community consultation and support," she said.