Antinuclear

South Australian government does an about turn on nuclear waste transport

SA Govt selling out SA over nuke waste, 15 March 12,  The SA Government appears to have abandoned its opposition to the transfer of radioactive waste from interstate through South Australia, says Greens Parliamentary Leader Mark Parnell.

In response to a question from the Greens in the SA Upper House about the implications for SA in the passing of a bill yesterday in the Federal Parliament authorising a nuclear waste facility in the NT, Minister Gail Gago said: “It is anticipated that the commonwealth would enter into discussions and keep the state fully informed of any future transport of significant quantities of radioactive waste through South Australia”

This response is in stark contrast to the vehement opposition by former Premier Mike Rann to the transport and storage of nuclear wastes into South Australia that led to a successful High Court challenge in 2003. Following the High Court victory, then Premier Rann said “Eighty per cent of South Australians were opposed to the radioactive waste dump and particularly opposed to radioactive waste from the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in Sydney being brought across our borders and along our roads.”

“In 2003 Premier Rann fought tooth and nail to stop the Howard Government’s plan to send nuclear waste from Lucas Heights along South Australian roads to a waste facility,” said Mark Parnell.

“Now, less than 10 years later, they appear to be rolling over and accepting the Gillard Government’s plan to transport the same waste through our state.

“This transport is completely unnecessary.   Even if you accept the need to build a waste storage facility in the Northern Territory – which the Greens totally reject – the most direct route from Lucas Heights to the NT is nowhere near South Australia.

“Yet, despite this, we are being heavily tipped to have hundreds of trucks of contaminated waste on our roads and passing within metres of houses because it’s too politically risky to transport the waste through parts of NSW,” he said.

According to a Federal Government commissioned reporting assessing transport options in 2009 SA was a real option as it “would avoid the emotive movement of waste through the Blue Mountains”.

“This dirty waste will unnecessarily travel through our iconic ‘clean and green’ food bowl and tourist areas in the Riverland, or even as far as Adelaide,” said Mr Parnell.

“Even worse, the Federal law which passed yesterday suspends all state regulations on the transport of radioactive waste.  This contaminated waste will needlessly be going the wrong way to the wrong storage option without the usual state protections.  Why isn’t the Weatherill Government screaming blue murder?” he asked.

March 15, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Australia | South Australia