Friday, 25 May, 2007

ANAWA

Representatives of the community and Fremantle Anti Nuclear Group (FANG)
staged a snap action out the front of Julie Bishops electorate office
today. They received support from passers by and delivered a copy of a
previous letter signed by some traditional owners of Muckaty station
stating their opposition to the proposed nuclear waste dump announced
today.

"We felt it was important on short notice to make our strong opposition
felt. We are representative of thousands of Australians who find it
abhorrent that aboriginal communities are having radioactive waste
dumped on them, without consent", stated Dylan James, FANG spokesperson.

Today it was announced that the Northern Land Council had nominated
Muckaty station as the site for the national waste dump. Julie Bishop
has welcomed this decision, and it has been announced that $11 million
dollars will go to the community to compensate them... as well as $1
million for education.

"The process has been flawed, the government has been telling half
truths and the decision is not representative of all the traditional
owners, or the wider community it could affect", continued Anti Nuclear
Alliance (WA) spokesperson, Nicola Paris.

"Julie Bishop is the education minister as well as the minister
responsible for toxic waste dump decisions - surely people might think
something is going terribly wrong with her education portfolio if $1 000
000 can only be spent on education if it is swapped as a bribe for
taking toxic waste?" said Ms Paris.

"A spokesperson for the NLC has proudly stated that it's a good decision
and that they get the land back after 200 years when its 'safe'. This
waste will be dangerous for tens of thousands of years, affecting many
generations, their land and culture, who will be compensated with the
princely sum of $12 000 000 which averages out at $164 a day", concluded
Ms James.