Thursday, 9 August, 2007

Arid Lands Environment Centre

Traditional Owners and community members from every state and territory are gathering this weekend for the annual Alliance Against Uranium meeting. Health professionals and delegates from environment and social justice organisations will also be attending.

Since the first meeting in 1997, in response to a strong coalition government push to further nuclear developments in Australia, the Alliance has increasingly become a place to share experiences and knowledge about the nuclear industry and develop strategies for community engagement.

The meeting will discuss proposed uranium mines, health and environmental impacts of the nuclear industry, the Federal Government’s plan for a federal nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory, and the NT intervention currently being debated in Federal Parliament.

The meeting is being held on Athenge-Lhere land, north of Alice Springs and just kilometers from Mt Everard, a Department of Defence site currently being considered for a federal nuclear waste dump.

Natalie Wasley, Beyond Nuclear Initiative campaigner says “As Federal Parliament is legislating to seize Aboriginal lands and dismantle the permit system, we are meeting to protect country, culture and community from the effects of uranium mining and nuclear waste dumps.”