Join the Australian Red Cross SA IHL Collective to mark the 72nd anniversary of the detonation of an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. We invite the community to come together to remember the victims of this attack and to highlight the devastating humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.
After the recent historic adoption of Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Treaty, add your message of hope for a world free of nuclear weapons to our paper crane and lantern peace sign; listen to guest speakers and performers as we reflect on the need to continue to fight for an end to nuclear weapons.
A conference in Alice Springs marking ten years of the Northern Territory Intervention will bring together people from prescribed areas to discuss the issues impacting on them and how best to move forward in taking control of their lives and communities.
Speakers include Yingiya Mark Guyula, Member for Nhulunbuy and local Arrernte woman Pat Ansell Dodds discussing Treaty;
Dylan Voller and Vickie Roach, campaigners for reform of the justice system;
Barbara Shaw and Matthew Ryan, NT Aboriginal Housing Board;
Ngarla Kunoth-Monks, Alukerre First Nation Cultural Trust, speaking on community governance;
And Senator Rachel Siewert discussing income management.
21st June 2017 marks ten years since John Howard announced the Northern Territory Intervention. In 2012, after token consultations, Jenny Macklin introduced the Stronger Futures laws which extended the intervention for a further ten years.
Despite all the evidence to the contrary and various reports and recommendations including from the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues and many peak Aboriginal organisations, governments have continued these policies which are having a devastating effect on individuals and communities.
People are still living in poverty and in unacceptable living conditions, many more are being sent to jail (often for non-criminal offences), more and more children are being removed from families and losing contact with their culture, more people are turning to drugs or suffering from mental or other health issues.
A meeting of the full Central Land Council on 10th May issued the following statement:
“CLC believes that the Intervention and Stronger Futures legislation is racist and continues genocidal policies, has not improved Aboriginal people’s lives and should be repealed.” Media contacts: Roxanne Highfold 044 767 4688/Marlene Hodder 043 881 6851 http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com
All in Tasmania who feel strongly that we should ban these weapons are welcome to gather together for an hour in a “Ban the Bomb” vigil on Parliament House lawns from 11am to noon on Saturday, next weekend.
Just two bombs killed about 80,000 people in Hiroshima and 40,000 in Nagasaki.
I felt sick then. It still shocks me.
Thereafter, we saw photos and film of people, including children, running screaming, their clothes torn off and their skin hanging in strips.
We saw photos of hospitals full of innocent people dying of radiation, their devastated cities and surrounding farming land irradiated 70 years ago and still unusable.
In 1956, a series of British nuclear tests at Maralinga in South Australia also left an area of our great nation contaminated. Australians then said: “Never again.”
The Australian Government was at the forefront of countries that established the United Nations, with the main task of preventing war, in particular nuclear war.
However, since then, the world has experienced one war after another, with increasingly sophisticated weapons, plus an underlying dependence on violence rather than justice, education, negotiation and compromise to solve the thorny issues.
There are nearly 15,000 nuclear weapons worldwide, each one of which can cause devastation like that of Hiroshima and thereafter cause a nuclear winter sufficient to destroy all human life. Nine countries have these weapons and more, such as North Korea, are trying to make them.
RE: Proposed Federal government imposition onto community in South Australia of an illegal “100 year” Store for ANSTO’s “10 000 year” irradiated Nuclear Fuel Wastes.
Public submissions are open till 21 June 2017, to: radioactivewaste@industry.gov.au
The Minister’s release “Kimba 90-day consultation begins”(20 March 2017) invited submissions on potential approval under the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012 of two nominated sites near Kimba for assessment as potential sites for the proposed NRWM Facility.
c/o The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
National Radioactive Waste Section
radioactivewaste@industry.gov.au
The National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF) comprises two co-located waste management facilities: an above ground 100 year Store for nuclear wastes that ARPANSA states require isolation for 10 000 years, AND a Disposal Facility for a range of radioactive wastes requiring isolation for up to 300 years.
Kimba District CouncilThe District Council of Kimba is conducting a ballot in relation to the nomination for a site being progressed to Phase 2 for further consultation for a National Radioactive Low/Intermediate Level Waste Management Facility.
If you are not currently enrolled on the State Electoral Roll for this council area you may still be entitled to enrol to vote on the Chief Executive Officer’s roll if you own or occupy a property within the District Council of Kimba.
For further information on voting entitlements please contact the office on 8627 2026.
Applications close for the purposes of the ballot at 12 noon Monday 15th May, 2017.
Please share if you know of someone that maybe eligible.
Here is some draft text you could adapt to send to them or use as speaking points for a call:
I’m contacting you to let you know I support the WA Labor policy to prevent uranium mining in WA and wish to see uranium mining banned permanently in this State. I am concerned by recent media statements that indicate Labor will let the four proposed uranium mines in WA go ahead. None of these projects have final approval none are under construction so they do not meet Labors criteria. These mines should not be allowed to proceed under a Labor Government.
After eight years of support and subsidies for uranium mining by the Barnett Government, our State remains nuclear-free. There are no operating uranium mines, no uranium projects with final approval to mine, and no proposals that are economically viable.
Now that Labor has won the State election, you and your party have a unique opportunity to prevent and ban uranium mining in WA and instead support a Renewable Energy Target and a clean energy future for West Australians.
Labor has been clear and consistent on their opposition to uranium mining and the party has a clear and strong policy against uranium, nuclear power, and nuclear waste that I support. This position should be clarified and re-affirmed given recent media reports that suggest otherwise.
I urge you to make quick decisive action to end uranium mining in WA once and for all. This will create certainty and relief for communities that have endured eight years of negotiating and fighting with uranium mining companies and the Barnett Government._____
US bases tour – WA – June 16th – 18th Join us on a whirlwind tour of the US bases close to Perth. We’ll leave on a Friday head towards Geraldton and come back on Sunday evening. We’ll be camping in State Park so bring a swag or a tent.
$80 per person (includes food and fuel and no frills) – spaces are limited so book in fast!
For more info or to book your spot call 0415380808 or e-mail mia.peppper@ccwa.org.au
This years Walkatjurra Walkabout dates are now set for the 4th of August leaving Fremantle and returning on the 3rd of September. We are hoping for a really good turn out this year and hopefully it will be a celebration of a Ban on uranium mining. If Labor have not done it by then we need lots of people to come and demand that they keep their promises. Register for the walk here or find our more Information for walkers here.
Sign the Uranium Free Charter Don’t let WA become a radioactive quarry and waste dump! Western Australians face a choice about uranium mining. The current push to allow uranium mining is a direct threat to workers’ safety and the long term health of our environment and communities. Uranium mining does not make good economic sense and leaves behind a radioactive legacy.
“On Wednesday, Coffs Coast Climate Action Group joined forces with concerned residents
at a protest outside of Federal member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker’s office.
“Coffs Coast Climate Action Group spokeswoman Liisa Rusanen said the
purpose of the demonstration was to call the Federal Government “out of bed with Adani”.
“About 60 demonstrators gathered around a makeshift bed with an effigy of Mr Hartsuyker and chanted in unison, “What do you want? Stop Adani.’ … “
More than 130 countries have begun negotiating a new treaty to outlaw nuclear weapons, heralding the end of two decades of paralysis in multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. So far, the Australian Government is standing with the nuclear armed states and boycotting the negotiations, despite overwhelming public support for a ban.
Australia has signed the treaties to ban chemical and biological weapons, landmines and cluster munitions. As a country that has experienced the devastating and long-lasting impact of nuclear testing, our Government must now support a ban on nuclear weapons!
Please join the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom NSW and ICAN Australia on Saturday 17th June for a Women’s March to Ban the Bomb!
This march is a women-led initiative and inclusive of all genders, ages, cultures and faiths. It is building on movements at the forefront of the resistance to weapons and war. It is occurring in solidarity with the New York Women’s March to Ban the Bomb, organised by WILPF program Reaching Critical Will. This is also part of a National Day of Action across Australia!Continue reading →
The storage of radioactive waste remains illegal under the South Australian Radioactive Waste Transport and Storage (Prohibition) Act (2000)
The Federal Government’s consultation process is fundamentally flawed. Traditional Owners were made aware of the nomination by a media announcement. This complete disregard of the importance of community consultation is completely contradictory to the Federal Government’s commitment to a more open and transparent site selection process.
To find a practical and just solution to the management of Australia’s radioactive waste, there is a need for a public inquiry to explore all our options for the management of radioactive waste. Such an approach would provide enhanced community and procedural confidence and rigor and ensure greater stakeholder engagement.
We are encouraging people to contact the Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan in the week leading up to the one year anniversary of the nomination at Wallerberdina to oppose the dumping of Australia’s radioactive waste on the Adnyamathanha people and support the local communities in opposition to a national radioactive waste dump in the Flinders Ranges.
South Australia is at risk of being turned into the nation’s nuclear waste dump.
The Turnbull Government is advancing plans to build a national nuclear waste dump in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. The shortlisting in April 2016 resulted in one site at Wallerbidina in the Flinders Ranges to be pursued for further investigation. This means the area is at extreme risk of being chosen to dump Australia’s nuclear waste.
We need your support to protect this region from nuclear waste.
The Wallerbidina site is of great cultural, historical and spiritual significance to Adnyamathanha Traditional Owners, who are calling this decision a desecration of their culture. Regina McKenzie, who lives at Yappala Station near the dump site, says: “The area is Adnyamathanha land. It is Arngurla Yarta (spiritual land). The proposed dump site has countless thousands of Aboriginal artifacts. Our ancestors are buried there. The nominated site is a significant women’s site. Throughout the area are registered cultural heritage sites and places of huge importance to our people.”
Friends of the Earth has been working closely with Adnyamathanha Traditional Owners and many concerned South Australians who are opposed to the proposed dump.
Regina McKenzie and her family are asking for support.
One way you can support the community is by contacting Minister Canavan between April 24th and April 28th and express concern about the national dump plans. In the lead up to the final decision, your voice can be a powerful support to the Adnyamathanha people and will be appreciated for generations to come.
Why non-scientists need to join the March for Science, Brisbane Times, Jocelyn Prasad, 20 Apr 17, I’ll be among the many non-scientists participating in the inaugural March for Science, which is taking place worldwide on Saturday.
None of us is untouched by science. We owe much of our prosperity to scientific progress. And many of the greatest issues facing humanity require us to get behind evidence-based research…….
March for Science Australia aims to improve scientific literacy and promote open communication of science. We believe a well-informed society is more prosperous and successful. It is less likely to be led astray by the misinformation often propagated by social media. And it prevents the likes of the anti-vaccination movement from building an ideological stronghold.
In a time of political uncertainty where fake news has become part of everyday life, scientists participating in the march know they need to shed their lab coats and spend time explaining their work to non-scientists. They know that being able to explain research in simple terms doesn’t diminish its value. On the contrary, clear communication widens support for it.
All politicians must pay more heed to scientific evidence when formulating policy. This is not a climate change march but it’s impossible to ignore the blatant disregard by politicians of available, peer-reviewed research on environmental issues. A willingness to back new coal mines, thinly veiled disdain for renewable energy and abandonment of the Climate Council are just a few recent measures showing how the government has turned a blind eye to science.
And while we might think censorship of scientific information is not our problem, it’s worth remembering the Australian government last year asked the United Nations to remove references to the Great Barrier Reef from its report on climate change’s impact on global heritage sites.
We are also calling for stable investment in public research. It’s time for politicians to stop taking a myopic economic view, to look beyond the electoral cycle and to consider the country’s long-term wellbeing. Robust research that seeks to solve complex problems requires stable funding. But funding in the science sector can vary from year to year, often leaving worthwhile scientific pursuits to wither. We know the government’s coffers aren’t bottomless. It’s another reason for scientists to become better communicators – when they explain their work to taxpayers, they broaden support for publicly funded research.
Most of us aren’t professional scientists but we’ve all done science. Whether we’re teaching kids to catch a ball, figuring out how to improve this year’s tomatoes in our veggie patches or discovering new planets in our spare time, we’re embracing scientific principles.
“We’ve been dying on this soil for many hundreds of years now, since the whiteman came and we’ve been doing that in defense of our land. They’ve had the superior force and mightier weapons, but they’ve never been able to conquer us. They’ve been able to imprison us, jail us and all that sort of stuff but we’ve never acquiesced, never ceded our sovereignty and we are in defense of our land every day of the week.
This is a hidden war. It’s a war of stealth and, unfortunately, when we want to remind people of this, then people take offence and call it a protest.
This is just being totally respectful of the fact that we, our people, have got a message to relay and Australia cannot keep hiding it – like at Hospital Creek nine kilometres north of Brewarrina. We want to excise that land there because the human bones are still visible and that’s my ancestry. They were shot at this place. We had here people who survived this massacre, but that was a private army. They were made up of all the cockies and pastoralists.
It’s reality.
We need to remind people of this – and you go to Germany where mass murders occurred in Germany. You go to Serbia now, where they buried people in mass graves, where they massacred them. They’ve now created a situation there where these things are memorial parks now to the dead who were killed there.
Here in Australia we don’t have that and I think it’s time we did that for every nation. We have to include the elements of Australia’s forgotten wars.”
Australia secretly signed the ‘Charter’ on 22 nd June 2016 – signed by Dr Adi Patterson COE of the Australia Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. (pending this JSCOT review). ANSTO is to be the implementing agent.
The An international collection of 14 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, the UK and the USA ( original charter members 2005) Switzerland, Euratom, China, Russia and Australia (signed later) . The World Nuclear Association describes the collection as countries for whom nuclear energy is significant now or seen as vital in the future.
When the Australian government quietly signed up to the GIF, it made no commitment to any particular action towards developing new nuclear reactors. Other countries, including Japan, Canada, France, South Korea, have committed to working on particular types ofGeneration IV reactors Australia might be expected to not only fully sign up as a member of the Charter, but perhaps also to provide funding and resources to develop one or more types.
Involvement of various countries in developing particular types of new nuclear reactor
Under the radar: Parliamentary Committee preparing for Australia to sign up to more participation in developing new nuclear reactors
Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) inquiry into the Agreement for Research and Development on Generation IV nuclear reactors that Australia signed in June 2016, without any public discussion .
There are six reactor technologies described as Gen IV. A 2014 industry update on the road map for development of these 6 technologies can be seen here. In short all 6 technologies are in the ‘viability’ (conceptual) or ‘performance’ (engineering) phase. The earliest prediction for the development of a prototype would be 2022, but it’s expected it will take much longer.
What are Gen IV (Generation IV Reactors) ? There are six reactor technologies described as Gen IV. A 2014 industry update on the road map for development of these 6 technologies can be seen here. In short all 6 technologies are in the ‘viability’ (conceptual) or ‘performance’ (engineering) phase. The earliest prediction for the development of a prototype would be 2022, but it’s expected it will take much longer.
What is the 2005 Framework Agreement aka ‘the Charter’? According to the World Nuclear Association the 2005 Framework agreement “formally commits them (signatories) to participate in the development of one or more Generation IV systems selected by GIF for further R&D.” Australia signed the ‘Charter’ on 22 nd June 2016 –by Dr Adi Patterson COE of the Australia Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. (pending this JSCOT review). ANSTO is to be the implementing agent.
Australia’s signing of the GIF Media reports indicate Australia made a bid or approach to join GIF. The active seeking out of such an agreement that is at odds with public opinion, at odds with the current
Governments policy position on nuclear power and is inconsistent with Australian laws which prohibit the use of this technology is astounding.
“Australia’s invitation to join this important global project marks an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of global innovation in the nuclear industry.” He added, “Inclusion in the GIF further strengthens Australia’s position as a nation that has the research muscle to deliver innovations on the global stage. It reinforces the governments 1 $billion National Innovation and Science Agenda, encouraging our best and brightest researchers to collaborate with international experts.”
Julie Bishop said in relation to joining GIF
“Australia has firm non-proliferation goals and nuclear safety objectives, and contributing to the global conversation on this level is an opportunity to assist in the research that is making nuclear technologies safer around the world in the long term.”
