Just to make things a bit more complicated, the Community Development Fund which was $10m but now promised to be $20m, will come from the National Repository Capital Contribution Fund. Credits to this fund will be money appropriated by the Parliament for the purpose of the fund, and amounts in excess of the first $10m received from fees charge to use the dump.

This fund will be established immediately after the dump is issued with an operating licence which could be 6 years away. However, a Commonwealth entity or an authority of, plus the state government will be exempt from paying dump fees and taking into consideration that approx 96% of the waste will be from this source, the dump is not going to be a big money making venture. (unless the Government allows overseas customers to use it and pay the dump fees). So this puts the promised $20m on shaky ground especially if there is a change of government in the meantime.

The following is copied from section 34E of the Act and details how money from the fund will be administered. It does not mention any thing about a local development board or council having a say into how the money will be spent in our backyard. All we will have is a dump in our back yard.”

Section 34E Conditions attaching to the initial use of facility (1) A radioactive waste management facility established on a site selected under this Act must not commence accepting any radioactive waste for storage, management or any other purpose, unless: (a) the requirements specified in subsection (2) of this section have been met; and (b) the Minister has given to the person managing the facility a notice certifying that each of those requirements has been met.

(2) The requirements to be met for the purposes of subsection (1) are: (a) that the Fund stands in credit to the value of at least $10,000,000; and (b) either: (i) the Commonwealth has entered into an agreement with the relevant State or Territory for the administration of the Fund, which provides that the Fund be administered by the Minister, on the advice of a committee chaired by the Premier or Chief Minister of the relevant State or Territory and comprising 3 other persons resident in that State or Territory with expertise in education, infrastructure and health respectively; or (ii) failing such agreement—the Commonwealth has established a committee comprising 3 persons with expertise in education, infrastructure and health resident in the relevant State or Territory, whose function is to advise the Minister on the administration of the Fund by the Minister. https://www.facebook.com/groups/941313402573199/