Today exploratory drilling started at the Angela-Pamela site - this is not surprising but it is deeply disappointing.

Uranium mining is not a clean, safe or necessary activity - this is a unique mineral with unique risks.

Uranium mining is directly linked to the production of some of the world’s worst industrial wastes and the proliferation of the world’s most obscene and indiscriminate weapons.

Wherever this industry occurs it leaves a legacy of toxic tailings, broken pipes and promises and divided communities.

There is no place for this industry in a sustainable Australia and there is no place for Cameco/Paladin drill rigs in the Alice Springs water catchment.

It is a long way from a bad idea to a dirty mine. This project will be contested every step of the way – at Jabiluka in Kakadu we showed what we can achieve when we work together with commitment, courage and creativity - today we need to keep our heart and increase our efforts.

The start of a drilling program is not the end of our struggle – rather it is the start of even greater efforts to end the threat posed by this industry here and elsewhere.

Alice Springs is not a spot on a map or a page in a corporate annual report - it is your community and your home.

ACF fully supports your efforts to protect your home and our shared future.

We – and many others across Australia and around the world – stand with you today and will work with you tomorrow to help build a sane, safe, sustainable and nuclear-free future.