Antinuclear

Muckaty traditional owners not consulted about nuclear waste plan, – legal case begins

Nuclear dump court battle begins,  SMH, Farah Farouque June 26, 2012   “……While much has been made of the environmental implications of building a nuclear waste facility at Muckaty, less understood is that the takeover ”heralds a significant unwinding of Aboriginal land rights”, according to Sydney lawyer George Newhouse.

”The Commonwealth’s preparedness to accept and act upon a deeply flawed and contested nomination at Muckaty, a home to at least seven Aboriginal family groups, represents a retrograde move in the history of indigenous land rights.”
Maurice Blackburn solicitor Elizabeth O’Shea says a nuclear dump in plain terms ”will mean the traditional people cannot access the land again”. The two lawyers are among a high-octane legal team who have donated their time to advance the cause of the elders. The barristers involved include Melbourne QCs Ron Merkel and Julian Burnside.

A leading issue in the Federal Court challenge, defended by the federal government and Northern Land Council, is that key traditional owners will testify they were never consulted while others say that they were not properly consulted and never consented to the nomination.,,,,,” http://www.smh.com.au/national/nuclear-dump-court-battle-begins-20120625-20ylj.html#ixzz1yyh9D5bG

June 26, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, legal