Friday, 25 May, 2007

SBS World News

The Greens say a deal reached with an indigenous community means John Howard's nuclear plan for Australia is now operational.

A Northern Territory aboriginal community has agreed for a nuclear waste dump on their land in the Northern Territory

But the indigenous people would be the losers, Greens senator Christine Milne said.

Northern Land Council (NLC) Chairman John Daly announced on Friday the Aboriginal people from Muckaty Station, 120 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, had nominated their land for a commonwealth repository for low-level radioactive waste, with an above-ground store for intermediate level waste.

In return, the Ngapa traditional owners will receive a $12 million package, including an $11 million charitable trust and a $1 million education scholarship.

"This landmark decision completes comprehensive consultation conducted by the NLC and commonwealth representatives during 2006 and 2007," Mr Daly said.

Muckaty Station is one of three sites being considered by the federal government for a nuclear waste dump.

Other options include Harts Range and Mt Everard, near Alice Springs, and Fishers Ridge near Katherine.

The NLC, which represents traditional land owners, has held talks with the federal government since April last year, when the site was first proposed.

"John Howard's nuclear plan for Australia is now fully operational," Senator Milne said in a statement.

"His vision is for expanded uranium mining and waste dumps and, once again, indigenous people are going to be the losers."

She said that no matter what Science Minister Julie Bishop or Mr Howard say about consultation with traditional owners, and there were serious questions as to the consultation process in this case.

"Their real intention was revealed in the legislation they pushed through last year, allowing a nuclear waste dump site to be nominated and approved without the consent of the traditional owners," Senator Milne said.

"To add insult to injury, they took away procedural fairness by preventing traditional owners from taking action in the courts to appeal any decision."

Senator Milne said long-lived intermediate nuclear waste was harmful for 250,000 years and the $12 million compensation package equated to a paltry $48 a year for the traditional owners.