Senator Scott Ludlam backs 6 Australian communities opposing nuclear waste dump
Greens senator wants towns off shortlist for waste dump site A Greens senator has backed six Australian communities campaigning to stop a nuclear waste dump being established in their areas. The Weekly, Mudgee, NSW, 10 Feb
Scott Ludlam addressed the Upper House on Thursday, drawing his colleagues’ attention to the strong opposition to the proposed waste dumps in Hill End; at Omanama in Queensland; Hale in the Northern Territory; and Cortlinye, Pinkawillinie and Barndioota in South Australia. e
He moved that the Senate calls on the federal government to:
- Acknowledge the opposition and lack of community support at all six sites, respect previous commitments on non-imposition and the importance of community consent, and remove all six sites from further consideration.
- Initiate a genuinely independent inquiry to investigate long-term stewardship options for spent fuel, reprocessing waste, and other categories of radioactive waste, including drawing on international examples and experience.
- Investigate options for active waste minimisation, including increased use of non-reactor based methods for radioisotope production.
- Clearly reaffirm policy and legislative prohibitions on the importation and disposal of international radioactive waste.
Mr Ludlam’s call came just days after Calare MP John Cobb spoke in the House of Representatives about the level of opposition to the proposed waste dump in his own electorate. “The Hill End community … are, and will remain, united against the establishment of such a facility,” Mr Cobb said in parliament. “Hill End have requested that they be immediately ruled out and not have to wait until March for the government’s response as to which communities might continue dialogue over the placement of the facility.
“Minister Frydenberg has stated that those communities that the government will continue discussions with will be announced some time after March 11. I ask for the voices of Hill End to be listened to.”
Bathurst Regional Council also took a stand against the proposed dump last week, calling on the government to remove Hill End from the short list of sites before the March 11 deadline.
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