The Territory's Cattleman's Association is being more forthcoming
about its concern over a planned radioactive waste dump in the Territory, following a protest by aboriginal cattlemen in Canberra yesterday. Alcoota Aboriginal Corporation Chairman, William Tilmouth, told Country Hour the proposed dump sites at Harts Range and Mount Everard in Central Australia were both connected with vast river systems and could cause environmental disaster.

Our Alice Springs reporter, Genny O'Loughlin spoke to long term Territory pastoralist, Dick Cadzow who's Mount Riddock station is adjacent to Alcoota and the proposed Harts Range dump site, 140 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs.

CADZOW WHAT HE SAYS IS PROBABLY RIGHT REGARDING
WATER FLOW. ALL THE WATER ON ALCOOTA AND OFF MOUNT RIDDOCK IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA GOES NORTH, THROUGH UTOPIA, INTO THE SANDOVER, IN THE BIG FLOODS, INTO THE GEORGINA AND THE GEORGINA AS YOU KNOW, FINISHES UP IN LAKE AYRE EVENTUALLY IN BIG
FLOODS, SO IT COVERS A LONG, LONG WAY IF ANYTHING HAPPENED.

REPTR William Tilmouth said it might affect also Alice Springs, the Todd River and the Charles River.

CADZOW WELL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IF IT GOES ON THE BOND SPRING SIDE OF TOWN NOW BECAUSE THE TODD AND THAT COMES OFF BOND SPRINGS AND THE CHARLES COMES OUT TOWARDS HAMILTON DOWNS THERE AS YOU KNOW.

REPTR And how important is that do you think to the potential location of the nuclear dump site?

CADZOW WELL, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE NUCLEAR DUMP TO KNOW HOW SAFE OR HOW OTHERWISE IT WAS GOING TO BE. THE ONLY THING I DO KNOW ABOUT THE NUCLEAR DUMP IS THEY'RE IN 70 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, BUT HOW SAFE THEY ARE, HOW DO WE KNOW?

REPTR Do you share his concerns about the perception of
Territory beef?

CADZOW YES, BUT WHO KNOWS THE REAL STORY, NOBODY, THE BIGGEST TROUBLE WITH THE WHOLE DEBATE TO MY MIND AT THE MOMENT IS, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S WHAT.

REPTR What have you said to the Cattleman's Association?

CADZOW I THINK IT WAS YOU OR ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES INTERVIEWED ME A LONG TIME AGO ON THE COUNTRY HOUR, MY VIEWS ON IT. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE IT ANYMORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

REPTR Have you spoken to any other cattlemen in the region in the area?

CADZOW IT'S GETTING TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEASON AND THE RAINS ABOUT AND EVERYBODY'S FLAT OUT TRYING TO FINISH WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY.

REPTR Haven't got time to think about it almost?

CADZOW WELL NOT SAYING THEY'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND ALL THE TIME.

REPTR Stuart Kenny, CEO of the NT Cattleman's Association, aboriginal pastoralists are fighting in Canberra to stop a nuclear dump site in Central Australia, what's your response to that?

KENNY WELL, LISTEN, WE WISH THEM LUCK, I MEAN, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, WE ARE ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT PROTECTING OUR INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO SO.

REPTR The NT Cattleman's Executive had a meeting last week
and you came out and said that you were taking a neutral stand
at this stage until you find out more, what do you need to know?

KENNY LISTEN, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THE
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS OPEN BETWEEN BOTH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE TERRITORY GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND MEMBERS CAN ACCESS THE RIGHT INFORMATION. NOW, WE DID THAT LAST WEEK AND WE HAD SOME GENTLEMEN UP FROM CANBERRA WHO SPOKE TO US ON THE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM AND THE PLANT.

REPTR Where were they from?

KENNY THEY WERE FROM THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE UNIT IN CANBERRA. ONE OF OUR CONCERNS CERTAINLY WAS THE TYPE OF SITES THAT THEY CHOSE AND THE REASON WHY THEY WERE COMING TO THE TERRITORY.

CERTAINLY AROUND OUR TABLE, WE DISCUSSED WHAT
WOULD BE THE PERFECT SITE IF THEY WERE TO CHOOSE ONE IN THE TERRITORY AND CERTAINLY, WE BELIEVE AND WHAT THEY DESCRIBED CERTAINLY WASN'T THE THREE THAT THEY NAMED AND YOU KNOW, AND IT'S THE IMPORTANT THING WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT IF IT'S GOING TO COME HERE AND WE'RE NOT SURE AND WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T LIKE TO SEE IT HERE IF IT'S NOT GOING INTO THE RIGHT SITE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ALL GOVERNMENTS AND APPROPRIATE AGENCIES ENSURE
THAT THE CORRECT ENVIRONMENTAL AND REGULATORY PROCEDURES ARE MET IF IT'S COMING HERE AND CERTAINLY, AS A CATTLEMAN'S ASSOCIATION, WE HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE CLEAN, GREEN IMAGE THAT WE
HAVE. WE HAVE A VERY SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY AND WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

REPTR The Chairman of the Alcoota Aboriginal Corporation
thinks that there's a possible environmental disaster in
terms of the water flowing in the region above ground and
underground.

KENNY WELL CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE SITE, YES I WOULD AGREE WITH THEM. THERE ARE CONCERNS OVER THIS AND IT WAS CERTAINLY TABLED AT OUR MEETING AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT BOTH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE TERRITORY
GOVERNMENT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND REGULATORY PROCEDURES IN PLACE.

REPTR The NT Cattleman's Association is not necessarily
though at this stage, opposing?

KENNY NO, WHAT YOU'RE READING INTO THIS IS THAT, WE
BELIEVE THAT THERE'S MORE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO MAKE A SOUND DECISION ON THIS AND WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING BACK TO OUR BRANCHES AND WE'LL BE DOING THAT IN DECEMBER AGAIN WITH THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AND WE'LL BE CERTAINLY GATHERING MORE INFORMATION TO ENABLE OUR MEMBERS TO MAKE THAT DECISION AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS TO HAVE THAT RIGHT INFORMATION.

REPTR In terms of the safety of the facility, is there any way of seeking neutral advice or will you be taking it just from Federal Government agencies?

KENNY NO, CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED. I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BELIEVE, SOME INDEPENDENT SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT
SCIENTIFIC BASE INVOLVED IN THIS AND WE'RE AN INDUSTRY THAT MAKES DECISIONS ON CLEAR SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

REPTR Is there anything possibly in it for the industry?

KENNY I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING IN IT FOR THE INDUSTRY, I MEAN, OUR INDUSTRY IS ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY AND THE PRODUCTION OF CATTLE AND I CAN'T SEE THAT BRINGING ANYTHING FOR US.