TASMANIANS SUPPORT MUCKATY TRADITIONAL OWNERS IN THEIR OPPOSITION TO A NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

Today at 12pm concerned Tasmanians will create a mock nuclear waste dump in Franklin Square Hobart to highlight the real threat of the proposed Federal ALP nuclear waste repository in the Northern Territory. 

The protest is part of a national day of action coinciding with a senate inquiry hearing in Darwin on the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill ( NRWMB) that seeks to impose a radioactive waste dump at Muckaty station, 120 kilometres north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. 

“The Hobart action stands in solidarity with the vast majority of Muckaty Traditional owners who have been opposing the plan to dump dangerous nuclear waste on their country since it was first proposed.” commented media spokesman Brett Thompson.

Martin Ferguson, the ALP federal resources minister falsely claims that Ngapa Traditional Owners support the nomination of the Muckaty site. He well knows that many of them oppose the dump – as well as numerous requests for meetings, he received a letter opposing the dump in May 2009 signed by 25 Ngapa Traditional Owners and 32 Traditional Owners from other Muckaty groups.

Section 11 of the (NRWMB) gives the minister the power to override any state/territory laws which might impede his nuclear waste dump plans. The bill also allows the minister to override the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and the Aboriginal Heritage Protection Act 1984 in relation to site selection.
We are calling on Kevin Rudd and the Federal Labor government to repeal the nomination of the Muckaty site and start from scratch with an inquiry into all the options available for managing Australia’s radioactive waste, including the option of ongoing storage at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor site – the source of most of the waste and most of Australia’s radioactive waste management expertise.

The decision to store the waste on Aboriginal land at Muckaty station fails to meet world standards, either for scientific appraisal, or for community consultation.

All the relevant organisations have acknowledged that ongoing storage at Lucas Heights is a viable option — those organisations include ANSTO, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, the Australian Nuclear Association and even Ferguson’s own department.
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“It is not fair that future generations of Aboriginal people will be forced to bear the consequences of nuclear waste for thousands of years to come. Nuclear waste and its consequences are forever.”  
concluded Brett Thompson.