Australia’s Liberal Coalition government is frightened that nuclear waste dump would become an election issue
Nuclear waste site to remain a mystery at federal election https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/nuclear-waste-site-to-remain-a-mystery-at-federal-election/news-story/af6a30c2fcd294fcbbaef37676faf1a5 THE AUSTRALIAN LUKE GRIFFITHS, JOURNALIST @_LukeGriffiths, NOVEMBER 5, 2018
The location of Australia’s first nuclear waste dump will not be announced before the federal election, extending the uncertainty for those living near proposed sites, Rex Patrick says. The Centre Alliance senator said the government’s selection process, which started in 2014, had been shrouded in “Soviet-style” secrecy and had divided communities. He said Labor must reveal how it would proceed, given the “real possibility” it would form government after the election.
Two sites near Kimba, 465km northwest of Adelaide, and one site near Hawker in South Australia’s mid-north have been shortlisted.
Resources Minister Matt Canavan told The Australian in June a decision would be made in the “second half of this year” because the Coalition did not want the issue “overlapping with a federal election”.
However, a Kimba ballot scheduled for August 20 has been delayed by court action from a local Aboriginal group that believes traditional owners should vote, despite them not living within the shire’s boundaries.
A hearing has been scheduled for January 30.
“Senator Canavan has ruled out the vote taking place while there is a federal election running … they won’t want to touch this with a barge pole as it gets to the other side of Christmas,” Senator Patrick said.
“They wanted it done and dusted and people having the issue settled in their mind four or five months before the election, but this now lands it right into electoral territory and I can’t see them running with it.”
Senator Patrick said Labor had to make its position clear. “Will they continue the current flawed process; will they start again with both locations being put up as options; or will they abandon the Kimba and Hawker sites?” he said.
Labor industry spokesman Kim Carr would not be drawn on ALP plans: “Labor acknowledges this has been an ongoing issue for 30 years, with decades of reports, studies and tests.”
Senator Canavan refused to engage in hypotheticals.
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