Plans to fast-track Australia’s first nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory are a betrayal of a Labor election promise, activists say.

Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said he wants to speed up a decision for a dump.

The Northern Territory is the most likely location for the dump, with four sites in the territory under consideration.

Mr Ferguson’s comments come after federal Labor committed before last year’s election, to overturn the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act, the Howard government’s legislation which paved the way for the dump to go ahead.

“I know I’ve got one of the tough decisions of this parliament. It’s got to be done,” Mr Ferguson said today.

The report said Mr Ferguson would still consult with affected parties before making a decision on the location.

Muckaty Station, about 120km north of Tennant Creek, has been nominated by the Northern Land Council for consideration for the national facility and is regarded as the most likely site for selection.

The proposed 1.5sqkm site is being considered along with three commonwealth defence sites, including Harts Range and Mt Everard near Alice Springs and Fishers Ridge near Katherine.

The report drew negative responses from landowners.

Mitch, a spokeswoman for the Ngwana people, north-west of Alice Springs, said the nominated Harts Range site should not be chosen.

“We spoke with Labor (people) before the election and were told by (Mr) Ferguson and in a brief meeting with (Environment Minister Peter) Garrett that they would take the dump proposals off the table because they didn’t agree with Howard’s way of imposing it on the Northern Territory and that they would do a new reassessment and offer a larger cheque to another community,” she said.

"We relied on what they said in the pre-election (period), that they would reassess the dump stuff and a lot of people voted for them on that issue.

“I can assume from people that I’ve talked to (around) Australia, they voted on that issue as well.”

Traditional owner of the Athenge Lhere people Kath Martin said Labor spoke “with forked tongues”.

“I’ve gone to no end to try and explain our cultural existence on this land and what it means to us,” she said.

Ms Martin said Mt Everard held very strong ties for her because of her cultural beliefs left by her grandfather.

“Mt Everard in the Arenthe language is called Ultirra - that translated means dreamtime,” she said.

“They may not be looking at Mt Everard but I’m still going to fight to ensure they do not use this site.

“In my dreamtime stories left to me by my grandfather, there were two sacred underground rivers there and they must be preserved at all times.

“It’s there for the use of our generations to come, travellers in that area and so on.”

But Beyond Nuclear Initiative activist Natalie Wasley said Labor had promised to overturn the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act.

“This is a betrayal of a clear election promise to repeal this act, which overrides NT law and allows a dump to be forced on the NT against community and NT government wishes,” she said.

“This is heading to be Rudd’s first election promise meltdown.”

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert agreed Labor was about to break an election promise.

“This decision is opening the floodgates to this toxic industry,” she said.

“Australians have a right to feel betrayed by this kind of sneaky double-dealing.”

Opposition resources spokesman David Johnston gave full support to Mr Ferguson and said the issue should be resolved without political points scoring.

“I’m not going to make a political issue out of it,” he told ABC radio.

“I just think it’s in the national interest to have a repository for these low-level radioactive isotopes and let’s get on with it.”

NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson later said the Rudd government should base its decision on science and not the easiest route to a waste dump.

“Decisions from the federal government should be scientifically, geologically (based on) what is the most stable and best site,” he told reporters in Darwin.

"The science was concluded many years ago when there were eight sites evaluated.”

The studies had found the best site was Roxby Downs in South Australia, he said.