Friday, 25 May, 2007

by The Hon Julie Bishop. MP
DEST

The Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, today welcomed the decision by the Northern Land Council (NLC) to nominate land on Muckaty Station, 120 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, as a potential site for the Commonwealth radioactive waste management facility.

The nomination by the full council of the NLC meeting at Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory follows negotiations between the Commonwealth, NLC and the Ngapa clan, traditional owners of the nominated land.

"The NLC has consistently taken a responsible approach to this issue, focussing on the evidence of safely operating radioactive waste management facilities in Australia and overseas," Minister Bishop said.

"Traditional owners have visited The Australian National Nuclear Research and Development organisation (ANSTO) to get first hand information on the type of waste that will be managed at the facility."

"The waste to be managed at the facility is low and intermediate level radioactive waste resulting from medical, industrial and research use of radioactive materials by Commonwealth agencies, including waste from the treatment of 400, 000 people each year with serious illness."

Low level waste typically includes items such as laboratory gloves, clothing and glassware, luminous dials and contaminated soil. Intermediate level waste includes disused radiotherapy and industrial radiation sources and waste that will return to Australia from overseas reprocessing of spent fuel from ANSTO's HIFAR reactor and the replacement OPAL reactor.

"A $12 million package of benefits will accrue to the traditional owners in the event that the volunteer site proves to be the most suitable site for the facility," Minister Bishop said.

"This includes phased payments of $11 million into a charitable trust to benefit traditional owners.

"A further $1 million will be provided to enhance education and training opportunities for the Indigenous community in the Muckaty Station area.

"The package also includes benefits to the clans whose lands would be transited in accessing the nominated site from the Stuart Highway.

"As a result of this nomination, an Indigenous community has the opportunity to receive substantial benefits from hosting this facility."