Australians have to "face up to their responsibilities" on nuclear waste, federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said today amid fresh speculation about a likely dump site. 

Mr Ferguson met with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory yesterday, prompting speculation from environmentalists that Labor was closer to making a decision on a location for a nuclear waste dump. 

Mr Ferguson denied a decision had been made and insisted his department was waiting for the findings of an independent report on potential sites. 

"At some point in the future a report will be presented to me by that contractor as to their examination of a range of sites in the Northern Territory," Mr Ferguson said in Darwin today. 

"I have advised both the Northern and Central Land Councils (NLC and CLC) that if we are to proceed with a site in the Northern Territory ... that there will be no decision without proper consultation." 

The Howard government had nominated four sites in the territory, including three commonwealth defence sites and Muckaty Station, about 120km north of Tennant Creek. 

Mr Ferguson refused to say if the Rudd government was considering any other locations in Australia. 

"We, by 2011 and 2012, will have to start receiving back from Scotland and France our nuclear waste ... (and) it's about time we fronted up to a mature decision following proper consultation," he said. 

"It's about time we fronted up to our responsibilities ... it's a problem I've got and I want to resolve it." 

Mr Ferguson said there would be no final decision without proper scientific assessment but when asked if this meant a South Australian site was back on the agenda he replied: "I am not going to try and pre-empt what that decision will be. 

"I'm not going to willy nilly make piecemeal decisions on the way through as some people would desire me to do." 

Natalie Wasley, from the Beyond Nuclear Initiative, called on Mr Ferguson to scrap the Howard government's NT dump plan and reveal Labor's intentions for domestic radioactive waste management. 

"(He) travelled to Darwin yesterday to meet with the NLC, which presumably involved discussion of the Muckaty dump site nomination," she said. 

"Despite a clear ALP commitment to transparency and accountability regarding waste management, including repeal of the legislation forcing a dump on the NT, Mr Ferguson has maintained a culture of secrecy surrounding this proposal similar to that of the previous government... 

"It is not acceptable that the minister simply pick the most politically viable of the four nominated sites."