Greens shocked at NT nuclear dump anger
Senator Scott Ludlam
The Australian Greens
'Martin Ferguson wouldn't build a nuclear dump in Batman'
Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has challenged Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson to visit the site of a proposed nuclear dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory before giving the go-ahead.
Speaking before a protest rally in Alice Springs today ahead of a Senate Inquiry investigating whether the nuclear dump proposal should be stopped, Senator Ludlam said he was shocked at the extent to which traditional owners were being ignored by Minister Ferguson.
Senator Ludlam said a protest by traditional owners and Territorians outside the Inquiry showed feeling was running high against the nuclear dump proposal at Muckaty Station, north of Tennant Creek.
"Once again we have Minister Ferguson continuing the Howard policy of pushing nuclear waste from the cities onto Indigenous communities."
"We need to re-think the whole nuclear waste strategy to find alternatives to remote dumps."
"It is last-century thinking and an echo of the worst nuclear colonialism from Australia's past."
"Martin Ferguson quite rightly would never build a nuclear dump in his electorate of Batman - so why target Muckaty?"
Senator Ludlam is calling on the federal government to uphold its election commitment to repeal laws for managing radioactive waste that allow the Northern Territory to become the repository of waste from the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney.
The inquiry has been called into a Greens' Bill to repeal the Commonwealth Radio Active Waste Management Act. The Act passed in 2005 by the Howard government, earmarked a series of sites for nuclear waste dumps.
Territorians will protest against the laws at the Alice Springs Crown Plaza hotel, venue of the Inquiry, at 12pm today (Central). The Inquiry opens at 1pm (Central) and continues tomorrow.
Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has challenged Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson to visit the site of a proposed nuclear dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory before giving the go-ahead.
Speaking before a protest rally in Alice Springs today ahead of a Senate Inquiry investigating whether the nuclear dump proposal should be stopped, Senator Ludlam said he was shocked at the extent to which traditional owners were being ignored by Minister Ferguson.
Senator Ludlam said a protest by traditional owners and Territorians outside the Inquiry showed feeling was running high against the nuclear dump proposal at Muckaty Station, north of Tennant Creek.
"Once again we have Minister Ferguson continuing the Howard policy of pushing nuclear waste from the cities onto Indigenous communities."
"We need to re-think the whole nuclear waste strategy to find alternatives to remote dumps."
"It is last-century thinking and an echo of the worst nuclear colonialism from Australia's past."
"Martin Ferguson quite rightly would never build a nuclear dump in his electorate of Batman - so why target Muckaty?"
Senator Ludlam is calling on the federal government to uphold its election commitment to repeal laws for managing radioactive waste that allow the Northern Territory to become the repository of waste from the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney.
The inquiry has been called into a Greens' Bill to repeal the Commonwealth Radio Active Waste Management Act. The Act passed in 2005 by the Howard government, earmarked a series of sites for nuclear waste dumps.
Territorians will protest against the laws at the Alice Springs Crown Plaza hotel, venue of the Inquiry, at 12pm today (Central). The Inquiry opens at 1pm (Central) and continues tomorrow.