Monday 7 November 2005
The Age

Traditional owners are stepping up pressure on Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion to cross the floor over federal government plans to build a nuclear waste dump on their land.

A group of eight representatives from Harts Range and Mount Everard, near Alice Springs, took their message to Parliament House on Monday.

They were joined by non-government politicians in presenting Senator Scullion, a member of the Country Liberal Party, with a petition of 9,000 signatures opposing the proposed dump.

Their protest came as Senator Scullion confirmed the federal government would allow a two-day Senate inquiry into the nuclear dump on November 21 and 22.

Opposition parties want a month-long inquiry.

NT Deputy Chief Minister Syd Stirling held last-ditch talks with Senator Scullion on Monday in an attempt to get him to vote against the government's plans.

Senator Scullion said although he had expressed concerns about the dump previously, information revealed during the Senate inquiry was unlikely to make him cross the floor and vote against the government's plans.

"If at the end of the day people think my vote is going to change anyway, it won't," he said.

Science Minister Brendan Nelson has compiled a short-list of three possible sites for the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Facility.

These are defence department properties at Mount Everard, Harts Range and Fishers Ridge, near Katherine.

The delegation of traditional owners said they held grave fears for the safety of up to 5,000 Aboriginal people living in small communities and out stations should the building of the low-level waste dump go ahead.

The group protested outside the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in Sydney on Tuesday, as NT Chief Minister Clare Martin conceded there were no grounds on which a legal challenge to the dump would be successful.

Traditional owner William Tilmouth, from the Alcoota Aboriginal Corporation which ran cattle on two stations with a combined area of about 4,000 square kilometres, on Monday said his likelihood was at stake.

"We're very concerned because of the rivers and the creeks - we pride ourselves on selling our cattle in regards to clean and green," Mr Tilmouth told reporters.

"The traditional owners have said no and we'd like Senator Scullion to cross the floor and say no as well."

Benedict Stephens, from Mount Everard, aid urgent action was needed from Senator Scullion.

"We don't want a nuclear dump in our backyard," he said.

"My elders back home there, they don't want this - we've got heaps of sacred sites around that area plus our hunting ground."

Traditional owner Audrey McCormack said her land may be poisoned either by an accident on site or during the transport of materials.

"This land, which has been ours for many thousands of years, may be poisoned," she said.

"This is my kids' land and my grandkids' land where they learn about law, about hunting and about bush tucker."

The Central Land Council (CLC), whose area covers Mount Everard and Harts Range, is bitterly opposed the waste dump proposal.

But the Northern Land Council (NLC), whose region includes Fishers Ridge, offered to negotiate with the government about other possible sites on indigenous land.

Mr Stirling, who accompanied the CLC's traditional owners, said the nuclear dump was designed to store low-level waste, but he feared it could be upgraded to handle highly radioactive material.

Dr Nelson said he would consider the NLC's proposal to put forward other possible sites, provided traditional owners agreed and cultural issues were addressed.

Legislation to allow the federal government to site a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory was introduced to the Senate on Monday.

The bills passed the House of Representatives last week.