Friday 28 April 2006
AM - ABC
Reporter: Lindy Kerin

ELIZABETH JACKSON: The Commonwealth Government's search for land to build a national nuclear waste dump might have ended.

The Government has earmarked a range of sites on defence land at Mount Everard and Haarts Range in Central Australia and Fishers Ridge, just south of Katherine.

But it's understood traditional owners of the Muckaty Station, in the Barkly region, north of Tennant Creek might now offer their land as an alternative site.

Lindy Kerin reports.

LINDY KERIN: When the Federal Minister Brendan Nelson announced three potential sites for the controversial nuclear waste facility last year, he made it clear objections from people living in such remote parts of Australia would not be tolerated.

BRENDAN NELSON: If the people of Sydney can comfortably live with a nuclear reactor that conducts research and produces isotopes for industry and for medical use, why on earth can't people in the middle of nowhere have low level and intermediate level waste?

LINDY KERIN: There's been widespread opposition to the plan, but now the Federal Government may well have a solution.

The traditional owners of Muckaty station, north of Tennant Creek, are believed to be planning a fact-finding trip to the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in Sydney.

They want advice about whether a radioactive waste dump could be safely built on their traditional country.

Pat Davoren is the Director of the Radioactive Waste Management Section at the Department of Education, Science and Training.

He says he's had several meetings with the Northern Land Council about alternative sites.

PAT DAVOREN: And the council's advised us that there's interest to some extent from all council regions further considering hosting the facility.

If we got a nomination within the next few months, the Government would consider that nomination. It's a matter for the Minister whether any nomination is accepted.

LINDY KERIN: Ray Aylett has managed Muckaty Station for the past seven years.

He knows the country well and thinks a nuclear waste facility in the region wouldn't be such a bad idea.

RAY AYLETT: We've got a lot of desert country out here we never use, out over the railway line and that, you know if they put it out there it's way out in the desert.

LINDY KERIN: What are the potential benefits, do you think?

RAY AYLETT: Well there'd be decent roads and bloody, you know it'd be more revenue money for the people and all that you know, jobs and everything.

LINDY KERIN: The Country Liberal Party Senator Nigel Scullion was responsible for changes to legislation, which allows Aboriginal Land Councils and the Northern Territory Government to nominate alternative sites.

He says there's plenty of suitable land in the Territory and would be supportive of any group wanting to provide a solution to a national problem.

NIGEL SCULLION: I would encourage anyone in the Northern Territory who believes their country has a level of amenity to provide for this, and they think they can get a benefit from it, or their people can get a benefit from it, then I'd really encourage them to put forward a nomination for the site.

I've got a high level of confidence that Territorians will be sensible in this and somebody will find a place where they want it to go and it will provide a high level of scientific amenity to ensure that it goes in the very best place in the Territory.

LINDY KERIN: Whether or not the Muckaty Station site would be the best location scientifically remains to be seen.

Pat Davoren says an Adelaide-based company, Parsons Brinckerhoff, is assessing the three sites already earmarked and will report to the Federal Government within the next 12 months.

PAT DAVOREN: To construct such a facility, you need a very arid environment, you need certain other characteristics like very low rainfall and a very deep water table, but that's not to say that we couldn't construct a more highly engineered facility, like facilities that are constructed overseas.

LINDY KERIN: So somewhere like Muckaty Station would be okay?

PAT DAVOREN: Well as I said, a wide range of environments.

LINDY KERIN: The Northern Land Council is remaining tight-lipped about the trip.

In a statement it said it couldn't reveal any details because of commercial confidentiality.

But they didn't leave much doubt about the group's identity, when they forgot to delete the title of their media statement, which was one word: Muckaty.

ELIZABETH JACKSON: Lindy Kerin with that report.