Antinuclear

Martin Ferguson disregarding Aboriginal court action against nuclear waste dump

Despite this, [Aboriginal landowners’ legal action in progress] Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson is already forging ahead to get plans for a national radioactive waste dump underway

NT nuclear waste dump plan forges ahead 9 NEWS,  May 7 2011 By Fiona Willan, A federal government plan to dump nuclear waste on Aboriginal land is set to be debated in Parliament, as a legal battle over the site continues in court.

Muckaty Station, near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, has been flagged by federal authorities and the Northern Land Council as the site of Australia’s first radioactive waste dump.

The land council reportedly nominated Muckaty under a $12 million deal in 2007.

But traditional owners have launched legal action against the proposal, claiming they were not properly consulted about the nomination.

Their case against the land council and the federal government is now before the Federal Court, where they are due to appear at a mediation meeting in August.

Despite this, Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson is already forging ahead to get plans for a national radioactive waste dump underway.

Mr Ferguson told ninemsn he would table a bill on Tuesday to provide a “proper process to establish a purpose-built facility for managing the waste generated by Australia’s use of radioactive materials”.

Protestors from across Australia are expected to flock to Tennant Creek tomorrow to join traditional owners in rallying against the plan ahead of Tuesday’s debate.

Last year the Northern Territory News reported that Muckaty Station is the only site in Australia being considered as a dumping ground for radioactive waste.

Mr Ferguson was quoted as saying: “If as we go forward I come to the decision that it’s not appropriate then I will look for other nominations.”

But the minister yesterday told ninemsn the bill allowed other sites to be considered “should the Muckaty nomination not succeed”….

NT nuclear waste dump plan forges ahead

May 7, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, legal