Wednesday, 8 November, 2006

Arid Lands Environment Centre

Environmentalists and Traditional Owners have today expressed disgust at the Commonwealth Government’s attempt to rush through legislative changes that would remove the need for procedural fairness and consent of the community, in their attempt to impose a radioactive waste dump on the Northern Territory.

"The original Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Bill was bad enough, but these changes have seen John Howard and Julie Bishop stoop to new lows", said Nat Wasley of the Beyond Nuclear Initiative.

With all the whispers about deals being struck between the Northern Land Council and the Commonwealth Government to dump radioactive waste at Muckaty Station, there’s a real reason to fear that the passage of these amendments may be designed to expedite this process.

The proposed changes mean that a nomination by a Land Council will no longer require:
- consultation with the traditional owners
- that the nomination be understood by the traditional owners
- that the traditional owners have consented as a group
- that any community that may be affected has been consulted and had adequate opportunity to express its views

These scandalous and undemocratic additions will also see the removal of the right to appeal on the grounds of procedural fairness.

"Clearly the federal Liberal Government sees procedural fairness as something that could prevent them imposing their radioactive waste on the Territory. One can only wonder, in light of these changes, what dirty tricks the Commonwealth Government has in mind, to get their way on the nuclear waste dump", said Tim Collins, Coordinator of the Arid Lands Environment Centre.

Given the likely passage of the amendments (no doubt with the ongoing support of "Nuclear" Nigel Scullion) the ball is now squarely in the Northern Land Council’s court.

"The Northern Land Council must publicly declare its intentions in regard to the consultation of the Traditional Owners of Muckaty Station. If their process is anything but completely transparent, it will raise questions that they have either bowed to bully-boy tactics of the Howard Government, or have been enticed by undisclosed benefits that may have been offered", stated Mr Collins.

"The eyes of the Territory are on Muckaty Station. Traditional Owners, green groups, the Territory Government and minor parties will be closely monitoring this situation and will not tolerate the dumping of radioactive waste on a community that has so strongly voiced their opposition to the plan." Ms Wasley concluded.