Australia’s New National Radioactive Waste Bill targets Muckaty Station, on Aboriginal land
Natalie Wasley, 8 Feb 12, David Wroe’s opinion piece in the Age on February 8 “First radioactive dump gets the green light” omits a numbers of key issues in the current battle to build the Northern Territory nuclear waste dump. NT Country Liberal Senator Scullion’s amendment to proposed legislation would provide a $10 million cash injection to the Territory as compensation (quite insignificant when you consider this facility will be operating for at least 300-400 years), but there was never any danger of the Coalition not supporting Minister Ferguson’s legislation.
As pointed out in the House of Reps debate, it bears uncanny similarity to the Coalition’s legislation it purports to replace, the main difference being it specifically targets Muckaty-a site nominated in the Howard era. Mr Wroe’s piece also ignores the ongoing opposition to the waste dump from the NT government and many Traditional Owners of the Muckaty Land Trust, who have built broad national support for their campaign and launched a federal court challenge against the nomination of the Muckaty site. If I was David’s driving instructor, I would tell him to look more carefully at the traffic signals.
First radioactive dump gets the green light, The Age, David Wroe February 8, 2012 Australia is set to get its first radioactive waste dump with the government agreeing to a Coalition demand for $10 million for the Northern Territory, which will host the dump.
Energy Minister Martin Ferguson told ABC radio’s PM program yesterday that the government would agree to a demand from Northern Territory Nationals Senator Nigel Scullion for the $10 million fund for education, health and infrastructure, ensuring the passage of the legislation through the Senate.
The preferred site is Muckaty Station, near Tennant Creek. The dump will take medical waste and reprocessed fuel rods from the Lucas Heights reactor. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/first-radioactive-dump-gets-the-green-light-20120207-1r5ge.html#ixzz1lqYBS82y
Australia’s Labor and Liberals agree on bribing Northern Territory to agree to nuclear waste dump
Canberra dangles $10m nuclear waste dump carrot, ABC Radio 774, By Anna Henderson and Louise Willis February 08, 2012 The Federal Government has made an agreement with the Opposition that will pave the way for Australia’s first national radioactive waste dump.
The Radioactive Waste Management Bill is listed for debate in the Senate today.
Northern Territory Country Liberals Senator Nigel Scullion says he has secured Labor support for a minimum $10 million fund that would be paid to the jurisdiction that accepts the facility.
Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says the Government is prepared to support the Opposition plan.
The Greens want the legislation delayed.
They say details surrounding the Government’s preferred site of Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory have not been finalised……
Greens Senator Scott Ludlum says it is wrong to proceed while Indigenous groups wage a court battle over ownership of the land.
“I think it is totally inappropriate that the Bill is before the Senate while the Government doesn’t yet know whose land they are dealing with,” he said.
“There is a very serious challenge by the traditional owners of the Barkly region, a challenge to the Federal Government and to the Northern Land Council.
“They are basically saying they had no right to give up the land in the first place. “I find it offensive.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-08/20120208-2410m-muckaty-nuclear-waste-dump-carrot/3817866/?site=melbourne
Lynas rare earths plant suits Malaysia’s politicians, not Malaysia’s people
Lynas plant a done deal from the start , malaysiakini, Feb 7, 2012 “……Manjit Bhatia: These protests against Lynas are very worthwhile. The Lynas project should never have been given the green light in the first place, let alone a temporary licence by the Umno-BN regime.
What’s really galling is that the regime went ahead with the latter despite Lynas failing to provide all of the mandatory guarantees needed. Worse, though: were there any public consultations about the project to start with? I feel the protests at Lynas aren’t big enough to put sufficient political pressure on the company to reconsider its operations…..
If the bulk of Malaysians do not join their Lynas protestors and stop the project dead in its tracks and soon, then you’ve lost the chance forever – unless Pakatan Rakyat wins government and scuttles the project entirely.
Although Malaysians have to cop a huge compensation bill to Lynas, it’ll be worth it. Just wear the fiscal pain for a decade.
Pemerhati: This is the price Malaysians pay for electing corrupt and greedy Umno thieves as their leaders……
CiViC: The concern now is exposing our people, our land to radioactive waste, radiation and pollution. This is not the people’s needs.
Thousands of people have protested, and still the dirty corrupt BN government pushes it through. And please don’t start with economic gains and such bull, there are no gains here since Lynas needs not pay tax, and the guarantee they have posted is not even enough to clean the plant itself, what more pollution beyond that…. http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/188438
Lasting toxic legacy of France’s atomic bomb tests in Polynesia
France’s upper chamber approved a motion that provides for Mururoa and Fangataufa, currently under the control of the defence ministry, to be restored to the Polynesian public domain, though the bill stands little chance of becoming law. “We realise that they are the two largest nuclear dumps in an ocean environment. But in Oceania you cannot separate human beings from their ecosystem,” says the author of the bill, Senator Richard Tuheiva. “Restitution [of the atolls] is a way of soothing the psychological wounds [caused by the nuclear era].”
France urged to clean up deadly waste from its nuclear tests in Polynesia, Guardian UK, 7 Feb 2012, 193 nuclear tests carried out on the Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls between 1966 and 1996 have left a dangerous legacy Continue reading
Poo Power: why not? – it’s cleaner than nuclear
Poo Power: from poultry waste to renewable energy,PhysOrg.com, February 7th, 2012 Using curbside, commercial and biowaste from its poultry industry, the City of Greater Bendigo is building a business case that could see the introduction of Australia’s first multiple stream waste to energy facility.
The economic and environmental initiative is being undertaken with the help of Masters students from the University of Melbourne Graduate School of Business & Economics.
The students will conduct a feasibility analysis on the project over the next fortnight….. The student project is part of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Business & Economics Volunteer Business Practicum, a program that allows students to provide a genuine contribution to a business or community while gaining valuable work experience….. The students will work with the City of Greater Bendigo Council until mid-February, when they will present their findings to the council and their peers.
More information:
See http://www.gsbe.un … acticum.html for more information.
Provided by University of Melbourne http://www.physorg.com/wire-news/90052149/poo-power-from-poultry-waste-to-renewable-energy.html
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 