The Northern Territory Outback site is moving closer to becoming the home of Australia's first national nuclear waste dump.

Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson on Tuesday announced that the Howard government's Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act would be repealed but said the only site being considered for the dump was at Muckaty, 120 kilometres north of Tennant Creek.

Under the Act, governments have the right to impose a nuclear waste dump on a community without consultation or consent from traditional owners.

As such, three NT sites owned by Defence were earmarked for the development.

Mr Ferguson said the three sites originally selected by the Howard government, Fishers Ridge, Mt Everard and Harts Range, would not be pursued, despite "the fact that scientifically they actually stack up".

"We will proceed firstly with the only voluntary site we have and that goes to the Ngapa land, with respect to the Muckaty Station," he told ABC Radio.

"We are required as an act of good faith and good spirit, with regard to the voluntary nomination to pursue that process but I also have the capacity, if I assess that is not a proper site, to open it up to a national voluntary site nomination process.

"The only voluntary nomination I have to date is that from the Ngapa people."

Australian Conservation Foundation Nuclear Free Campaigner Dave Sweeney told AAP that almost 60 traditional land owners had signed a petition opposing the development of such a waste facility at Muckaty, despite claims from the federal government that the land had been volunteered by the Northern Land Council.

Mr Ferguson said the land had been volunteered in consultation the Ngapa people who form one of the many family groups who are the rightful Muckaty custodians.

However, at least half the signatures on the petition belong to members of the Ngapa family.

Mr Ferguson said he hoped Territorians would now breathe a sigh of relief that a process started in 1998 was going to be bought to an end.

"We, as a community, want the benefit of nuclear medicine.

"Half a million Australians every year have the benefit of nuclear medicine and we produce 85 per cent of our own domestic requirements."

He said nuclear waste was currently being stored at hospitals and universities around the country and some had been sent overseas.

"We will develop a purpose built facility for managing Australia's waste.

"It will be based on a proper process and it includes putting back in place normal procedural requirements, scientific assessments, the operation of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act and also proper regard for the Northern Territory Aboriginal Land Rights Act.

"If the science stacks up and (the Muckaty site) meets the environmental approvals ... and it obtains the necessary approval from the Ngapa people through the Northern Land Council, then it will potentially be the appropriate site."