CHIEF Minister Paul Henderson yesterday branded the $10 million rent money for a nuclear waste dump "offensive".

He said it was a "bone being thrown to us to try to get us to roll over".

But Senator Trish Crossin denied the money was a "bribe".

She said it was a "benefit" to Territorians for having the dump in the NT.

Another Territory Senator, Nigel Scullion, came up with the idea for the fund as the price for the Coalition allowing the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill to be passed in the Senate.

The rent money will be spent on equipment and medical scholarships at Darwin's new cancer unit.

Senator Scullion said the fund would be administered by a committee made up of the Chief Minister and three non-politicians.

But Mr Henderson's reaction to the money makes it unlikely that he would agree to being involved.