Greens accuse gov't of reneging on waste
Samuel Cardwell
AAP
The Rudd government has been accused of reneging on a promise to stop plans to dump nuclear waste in the Northern Territory.
A Senate inquiry heard evidence on Friday from a government official that indicated the same four NT sites put forward for consideration by the previous Howard government were still under investigation.
"They are pursuing essentially John Howard's agenda for a radioactive waste dump," Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam told reporters.
But the government says site investigations are merely the result of contractual obligations with a private contractor.
No decision on the location of a radioactive waste dump would be made without proper consultation with state and territory governments, indigenous and local communities, or without proper scientific assessment of sites.
The government was committed to the repeal of the Howard government legislation, a spokesman for Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said.
A Senate inquiry heard evidence on Friday from a government official that indicated the same four NT sites put forward for consideration by the previous Howard government were still under investigation.
"They are pursuing essentially John Howard's agenda for a radioactive waste dump," Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam told reporters.
But the government says site investigations are merely the result of contractual obligations with a private contractor.
No decision on the location of a radioactive waste dump would be made without proper consultation with state and territory governments, indigenous and local communities, or without proper scientific assessment of sites.
The government was committed to the repeal of the Howard government legislation, a spokesman for Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said.