RADIOACTIVE waste is destined to be trucked through SA to keep the Blue Mountains nuclear-free, a Federal Government report reveals.

The report commissioned by the Federal Government advises sending the waste through SA "would avoid the emotive movement of waste through the Blue Mountains".

The waste would be en route from the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor southwest of Sydney to a proposed dump in the Northern Territory.

Berri Barmera Council chief executive David Beaton said yesterday it was "ridiculous" for waste to be diverted through SA and not to go direct to the dump.

"We are located within the Murray- Darling Basin, which is the food bowl of Australia," he said.

"It seems that it's all right to take it (the waste) across the Murray River but don't take it through the Blue Mountains.

"You would think it would be better to take the shortest routes."

The Government is planning to dump thousands of tonnes of waste at Muckaty Station, north of Tennant Creek.

Under the new plan, up to 8000 tonnes of low level and short-lived intermediate level waste will be transported either by rail or road, with B-double semi trailers moving the shipping containers.

Another 67 tonnes of intermediate level waste  reprocessed spent fuel rods  will be shipped to Adelaide from Scotland and France, destined for the new dump.

This waste, which was sent from Australia to Europe for processing in the 1990s, must be returned by 2015 for long-term storage.

The report recommends waste be trucked on the Sturt Highway  along the River Murray  as well as the Dukes and Stuart highways in SA.

A Bill to introduce the dump is currently before the Senate and expected to be passed before the end of the year.

Muckaty Station is the forerunner to house the dump, with its traditional owners nominating the site to the Government.

But another group linked to the land is now seeking to oppose that nomination through the Federal Court.

The waste would be packed into 200-litre steel drums and then into 6m shipping containers.

More than 16,000 drums would be trucked across the nation, with an additional 9700 drums from Woomera also transported to the NT.

The operation would take about 12 months and cost more than $7 million.

The report says the rail option "may be seen as a less emotive option, with reduced accident potential".

But the rail option might be "less secure" with "difficulty in continuously monitoring the location of containers on trains".

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam warned yesterday that "South Australia is going to cop it".

He criticised the lack of consultation over transportation on the waste, saying "good luck SA".

Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson yesterday pledged "there will be full consultation including with South Australian communities if affected" when the final plan for a dump was developed.

Mr Ferguson said transport arrangements would be planned in compliance with national codes for the transport of radioactive waste.

He pointed out that uranium is already transported through SA from Outback mines to Port Adelaide for shipping.

University of Adelaide Adjunct Associate Professor Gerald Laurence said that he would be more concerned about driving behind a tanker containing ammonia, or chlorine.