Tuesday, 5 June, 2007

by NICK CALACOURAS
NT News

THE Federal Government denied last night that high-level nuclear waste from overseas would be stored in the Territory.

But critics said Canberra backflipped on similar promises to never build a domestic nuclear waste facility in the NT.

The Liberal Party Federal Council passed a motion on the weekend urging the Government to build a "worldwide nuclear waste storage in the geotechnically stable and remote areas that Australia has to offer".

Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said it was against the law for Australia "to take anyone else's nuclear waste" and the Government had no intention of changing the law.

But Lingiari MHR Warren Snowdon said he has "no doubt if the Howard Government is re-elected, we'll see a high-level nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory."

He said Territory Senator Nigel Scullion promised not to allow a domestic nuclear waste dump "on his watch" before the last election, but refused to vote against the legislation.

"They'll say one thing before an election, and do another after," he said.

Mr Snowdon said it was clear the Liberal Party had a "secret agenda" to set up a high-level waste facility in the Territory - and the proposed low-level facility at Muckaty Station is "largely a side-show".

Arid Lands Environment Centre campaigner Natalie Wasley said the Government had little credibility when making these promises.

She said the proposed domestic nuclear facility at Muckaty Station, could be upgraded to accept international waste.

"If the Commonwealth couldn't convince the states to take on the low-level nuclear waste dumps, then they definitely won't be willing to take international waste," she said.

"They will have to force it on the Territory as well."

The Commonwealth nominated three sites in the NT for the domestic waste facility after the states refused to have it built on their land.

The Northern Land Council volunteered Muckaty Station for low and intermediate level waste last month.