Antinuclear

Australian civil society groups urge South Australian Labor to stick to party policy

Along with a closed door the Alliance is also calling on members of this weekend’s Citizen’s Jury into the international waste plan to have open ears.

28 Oct 16 The No Dump Alliance has called on Labor delegates at tomorrow’s ALP State Convention to stick to their policy and uphold legislation that bans nuclear waste dumping in SA.

Alliance members will join other community groups in a peaceful demonstration outside the convention at the West Adelaide football club from 8am on Saturday to support the growing opposition inside the ALP to progress waste dump plans.

And in a big weekend for the nuclear debate, the Alliance – a broad cross-section of South Australian civil society, including Indigenous, public health, trade union, faith and environment groups and academics opposed to any move to import and dump high level nuclear waste into our state – is urging members of the Citizen’s Jury to pay attention to a range of witnesses appearing before them this weekend critical of the dump plan.

“Despite a huge amount of taxpayer-funded promotion, opposition to an international nuclear dump is growing within the Labor party and the wider community,” said No Dump Alliance spokesperson and Conservation SA Chief Executive Craig Wilkins.

“This is not surprising when people realise the plan is to import high level radioactive waste and store it temporarily above ground on our soil years before the location of the permanent underground facility is even decided, let alone built, and well before the community has been given a chance to say yes or no.

“South Australia deserves far better than this. The No Dump Alliance calls on Premier Weatherill and SA Labor to close the door on this deeply flawed and reckless plan,” he said.

Along with a closed door the Alliance is also calling on members of this weekend’s Citizen’s Jury into the international waste plan to have open ears.

The second weekend of the Jury will hear from regional, interstate and international speakers at the Adelaide Convention Centre, including a series of prominent Traditional Owners who will emphasise the widespread opposition to the dump plan amongst Aboriginal people.

“We hope that the Jurors can open their ears to the concerns of so many, including Aboriginal people, to the planned global waste dump,” said Alliance member and Jury witness Karina Lester, Yunkunytjatjara Native Title Chairperson.

“Our experience has led to a very clear rejection of the waste dump plan. We are concerned and opposed and we hope that the Jury process and findings will respect and reflect this”.

The No Dump Alliance – http://www.nodumpalliance.org.au/

October 28, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | ACTION