Community unites in rally against nuke waste dump
A main street march culminated in Peko Park where the assembly heard from speakers including Dr Jim Green, Elliot McAdam, Audrey McCormack, Nat Wasley and traditional owners Marlene Bennett, Sammy Sambo, Beasley Anderson and Dianne Stokes.
An announcement on the site selected by the Commonwealth to establish a nuclear dump is imminent and it is believed Muckaty is at the top of the list.
Dianne Stokes, a Yappa Yappa woman who is a traditional owner of Muckaty, said most of the land owners are against the dump.
“It’s not possible for just a few people to say yes to the dump,” she said.
“The ownership of the land is too complicated for that, but the Northern Land Council ignored that when they put Muckaty up for nomination.”
Dr Jim Green, an eminent anti-nuclear campaigner, said the waste should be stored at Lucas Heights.
“Ansto [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation] and the Federal Government agree there is the storage capacity at Lucas Heights so we should leave it there.”
Muckaty traditional owner, Marlene Bennett, summed up the sentiments of many present when she said the nomination of Muckaty as a waste dump site was like a ‘spear through our hearts.’
“We love our country and we want to keep it clean, safe and strong,” she said.
The rally called on the Federal Government to honour its election promise to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act which allows the nuclear dump to be forced on the Northern Territory.
It also called for all nominated sites to be revoked and to hold a public enquiry into the nomination of Muckaty.
Further, a meeting of all traditional owners will soon be called - something which has not happened in the past - with special invitations extended to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Resources, Martin Ferguson.