Nuclear Dump

Friday 4 November 2005
78.3FM ABC Alice Springs
Drivetime with Barry Nichols

Barry Nichols interviews Kathleen Martin, Steve McCormack and William Tilmouth

The clock is ticking on the Bill to direct Australia's nuclear waste to the Territory and arguments have surfaced over the amendments debated and ultimately approved of in the House of Representatives yesterday morning and today, traditional owners from Central Australia were steadfast in their views against the facility heading toward the region and they showed their solidarity in Alice Springs at a special meeting at the Central Land Council.

MARTIN EVERYONE HERE KNOWS, I LIVE WITHIN THE SHADOWS OF MOUNT EVERARD AND TO US TRADITIONALS HERE CALL, IT IN THE ARRENTE LANGUAGE, ALCHERA (?), WHICH TRANSLATED MEANS, DREAMTIME AND TO US, IN OUR CULTURE, IT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT THAT WE DO RECOGNISE A DREAMTIME SITUATION. AND I'LL BE LIVING THERE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE BUT THEN, SO WILL MY CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN AND SO ON. SO AS FAR AS THE NUCLEAR WASTE IS CONCERNED, WE JUST DON'T WANT IT THERE.

MCCORMACK MY NAME IS STEVE MCCORMACK, WORK AT AN OUTSTATION THERE, MOUNT SOLITARY IS ABOUT 30 K'S OUT FROM ALICE SPRINGS, 35 AND I'VE GOT CATTLE, I'VE GOT MY FAMILY THERE, GRANDSON AND GRANDDAUGHTERS AND ITS FULL OF ABORIGINE LAND, I GOT IT BACK BUT I GOT A COUPLE OF BULLOCKS AND HORSES, (inaudible) THERE AND I GOT A BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, SELL THEM TO OVERSEA OR MIGHT BE DOWN SOUTH OR DARWIN, I GOT OWN BUSINESS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE GO THERE FOR HUNTING, ONIONS AND KANGAROO SHOOTING TOO YOU KNOW, EAT THEM KANGAROOS AND EMUS AND THEY WANT TO CHUCK THAT POISON THERE, NOT FAR WHERE I'M LIVING THERE NOW.

TILMOUTH AS THE CHAIRMAN OF ALCOOTA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION, THE MEMBERS OF THAT CORPORATION AND THERE'S OVER 1,000 MEMBERS AND THEY ALL LIVE IN THAT AREA. SO FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO SAY THAT NOBODY LIVES THERE, IT'S A FURPHY AND THE ALCOOTA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION HAS VOTED, NO AGAINST THIS BECAUSE THE DANGERS OF NUCLEAR WASTE WITHIN THEIR AREA, THERE HAS BEEN NO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, THERE'S BEEN NO ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT AND WE'RE VERY CONCERNED THAT THE CATTLE INDUSTRY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RUN, OUR SUCCESSFUL CATTLE INDUSTRY AT THAT, WILL SUFFER BECAUSE OF THAT. THE PASTORALISTS WITHIN THAT REGION ALL PRIDE THEMSELVES ON SELLING LEAN, CLEAN, GREEN BEEF AND HAVING A NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP NEARBY WILL AFFECT THEIR BUSINESSES AS WELL AND THEY'VE ALREADY EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. THE ALCOOTA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE DIMINISHMENT OF THE SALES OF CATTLE BECAUSE OF THAT NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP BEING THERE IS DETRIMENTAL TO WHAT WE ASPIRE TO.

REPTR The voices you heard then, traditional owners, Kathleen Martin and Steve McCormack and then Chairman of the Alcoota Aboriginal Corporation, William Tilmouth at the Central Land Council today expressing their concerns to this idea of a nuclear waste facility possibly heading towards Central Australia. Some would consider that it's too late to do anything about it, so what can be done at this 11th hour. Here again is traditional owner, Kathleen Martin.

MARTIN WELL, AT THIS TIME, WE JUST HOPE TO HAVE A FACE TO FACE CONFRONTATION WITH MAYBE BRENDAN NELSON, HE DIDN'T COME UP HERE, SENT HIS TWO MEN UP HERE. BUT WHAT I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAYBE SEE JOHN HOWARD FACE TO FACE AND THAT'S A BIG MAYBE YOU KNOW THAT AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE WE'LL BE DOING, TALKING TO PEOPLE, ACTUALLY TALKING FACE TO FACE WITH THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THAT DECISION TO SEND THE NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP HERE.

REPTR Kathleen Martin, talking about meeting the Central Land Council earlier today, they will be heading to Canberra early next week.