TENNANT Creek locals and traditional owners will have to travel to Darwin or Canberra if they want to appear at the Senate Inquiry into new laws for a radioactive waste dump.

The Federal Government has introduced legislation to override the Territory's laws to install the storage facility. The only site being considered for it is Muckaty Station, 120km north of Tennant Creek.

But Greens Senator Scott Ludlum, who is on the committee, said the Government had determined the only hearings would be in Darwin and Canberra.

"Locals will be forced to make the long, expensive trek to Darwin or Canberra to be heard, which is completely unacceptable," he said.

"We urge all Territorians to take part in the inquiry and send a strong message for this Government to install a proper scientific, transparent and accountable process, as it promised at the last election.

"The Greens will continue to oppose the shonky process leading to the nomination of Muckaty that Labor condemned when it was in opposition."

Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has said he will talk to traditional owners but flew over Tennant Creek to Alice Springs after he left Darwin on a visit early this month. While in Darwin he met with a group of Ngapa traditional owners who supported the nomination of their land for the waste dump.