The Beyond Nuclear Initiative in Alice Springs has welcomed comments from Minister Warren Snowdon that he would like to see the NT radioactive waste dump laws repealed ‘sooner rather than later”, and has again called for immediate action from the ALP government on this issue.

 

Natalie Wasley, who works with the communities targeted by the federal radioactive dump plan, says it is time for Resources Minister Martin Ferguson to stop dragging his feet.

 

“We call on the Minister to walk in the shoes of affected community members, who wake up every day wondering if there will be a nuclear dump on their traditional country, or on their pastoral station”, said Ms Wasley.

 

“For 18 months the Minister has ignored requests to meet with affected communities in the NT, and he ignored the findings of the Senate Inquiry that called for the NT waste dump law, the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act, to be repealed in the March parliamentary sittings”.

 

Ms Wasley added, “ALP national policy and pre-election promises call for the waste dump laws to be scrapped and a transparent and inclusive process that allows access to legal appeal be initiated. When will this be acted on by the ALP Government?”

 

“Minister Snowdon has called for an approach based on ‘the best science, not politics’. The sites currently under assessment in the NT were chosen purely for political expediency and should be discarded”, Ms Wasley concluded.

 

The Beyond Nuclear Initiative calls on Prime Minister Rudd to immediately announce repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act and a scrapping of the four NT sites that have been assessed.