Monday, 12 February, 2007

ABC NT Local News

Alice Springs Town Council will vote whether to declare Alice Springs a nuclear-free zone at a committee meeting tonight.

The vote is symbolic rather than legally binding.

It comes after an Arid Lands Environment Centre petition of about 1,200 signatures and more than 130 letters from local businesses calling on council to support the idea of Alice Springs as a nuclear-free town.

Mayor Fran Kilgariff says while she is against a nuclear free dump near Alice Springs, she will not be supporting the motion.

"Because of the current exploration for uranium that's going on in town or around town, and the potential economic benefits to Alice Springs' businesses which might be involved in mining and the fact that we already have uranium products coming through the town weekly," she said.