Bangarla legal case: voting manipulation brought about “Yes” vote for Kimba nuclear waste dump ballot
Kimba radioactive waste debate hits court as Barngarla community says its concerns have been ‘ignored’
An Aboriginal corporation will launch a fresh legal battle over the Federal Government’s decision to store radioactive waste near Kimba, saying traditional owners’ views were “ignored”. Michelle Etheridge, Regional Reporter, The Advertiser, 4 Feb 2020,
An Aboriginal corporation says it is likely to launch a new legal challenge over the Federal Government’s decision to use farming property Napandee, near Kimba, to store radioactive waste.
It comes as the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation is already set to return to the Federal Court on February 21.
The organisation, which represents native title holders, is appealing Justice Richard White’s decision in July to dismiss its claim against Kimba Council.
It had argued the council discriminated against native title holders when it decided to exclude those who did not live in the area from a community ballot to gauge support for the radioactive waste storage site.
The Barngarla community conducted its own postal ballot, with all of the 83 traditional landowners who responded rejecting the proposal. It followed the Kimba vote – conducted on the Government’s behalf – finding 62 per cent of respondents were in favour of the facility, which would come with a $31 million community funding package.
In a statement, the Barngarla corporation this week said it would “likely” launch new judicial review proceedings after the results of its ballot were “ignored”.
The Federal Government has maintained that a nuclear waste site must have “broad community support”.
“The only reason why there was a yes vote was because Barngarla were excluded, and this has then been used as the justification to allow the facility to be built, entirely ignoring Barngarla’s views,” the Barngarla statement said. “The Barngarla stand with most of the farming industry against this proposal. However, the more important issue now is the fact that voting manipulation has allowed for the decision to occur.”………https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/sa-business-journal/kimba-radioactive-waste-debate-hits-court-as-barngarla-community-says-its-concerns-have-been-ignored/news-story/255f1f0cbbc8ccc33aabae7dad03089a
Antinuclear 
Traditional owners with tens of thousands of years looking after country being shamefully ignored by a government with a short but destructive history is a regressive action which takes Australia back to an unsavory patronizing white supremacist past that includes stealing land, eviction, attempted genocide, family breakup and indoctrination, slavery, discrimination and excessive imprisonment.
Can Australia show that it is a mature, civilized country or will it continue to shame us all?
LikeLike