Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Greens Senator warns on divisive effects of nuclear waste dump on Aboriginal land

Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says the plan to build a radioactive waste dump in the region has become extremely divisive.

Aborigines discuss nuclear proposal on tribal land By Phil Mercer,BBC News, 3 march 2010, Sydney Aboriginal groups have held a public meeting to debate controversial plans to build Australia’s first nuclear waste dump on tribal land…. Continue reading →

March 4, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

South Australian tax-payers will help BHP’s uranium mine to be “viable”

for the Olympic Dam Task Force to assist owner BHP Billiton in proving the viability of this project.

State funding to support Olympic Dam expansion – URANIUM, Mineweb , Ross Louthean, 01 Mar 2010 Continue reading →

March 2, 2010 Posted by | politics, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rudd Govt can over-ride Northern Territory

it is too useful to the commonwealth as a zone for decision-making.

Dreams of statehood are buried in a sparsely populated area * NORTHERN TERRITORY: Nicolas Rothwell, The Australian, February 27, 2010 THIS week’s announcement by federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson that the commonwealth’s preferred site for a national radioactive waste depository is Muckaty station in the heart of the central desert foregrounds a bitter truth about Northern Territory politics. Continue reading →

March 2, 2010 Posted by | Northern Territory, politics, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Big money push for nuclear power, nuclear waste dumps in Australia

Big money can be made by a few, for Australia to become an international nuclear waste dump. Hence the push for (completely uneconomic) nuclear power in Australia. THE TRUE COSTS OF NUCLEAR POWER – our theme for March

March 1, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No need for radioactive waste dump on aboriginal land – Public Health Association

there is no need then to have a waste dump unless there is an intention to import waste from overseas.

CONTRADICTION BETWEEN LABOR NUCLEAR WASTE PLAN AND INDIGENOUS HEALTH POLICY – Public Health Association of Australia 26 Feb 2010, Continue reading →

February 26, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shameful politics behind Rudd govt’s new radioactive waste policy

the introduction this week of Minister Ferguson’s National Radioactive Waste Bill (2010)….
This legislation fails to honour federal Labor’s clear pre- election promise and existing policy position

Radioactive politics ABC The Drum Unleashed -25 Feb 2010, Continue reading →

February 25, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Women Walk to Oppose Nuclear Waste Dump

“Most of the indigenous people of central Australia are opposed to a nuclear waste dump on their land and we need to stand by them. Opposing the nuclear industry is vital to supporting safe and peaceful future.”

Women’s Peace Walk to Take People’s Opposition to Nuke Dump to Canberra | Indymedia Australia 24 Feb 2010 Continue reading →

February 25, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Rudd must keep Garrett as Environment Minister

Peter Garrett was known for his strong anti-nuclear and pro-environment stand. That was before he became a politician. And of course, especially in the Labor Party, you have to be a “team player”. Peter Garrett has been a “team player” on matters like the Tasmanian pulp mill, and on widening the ALP’s policy to allow new uranium mines.

It will be no surprise when Garrett toes the line on future uranium/nuclear/radioactive waste decisions made by the Rudd government, as it kow-tows to BHP Billiton, and its other big industry backers.  Garrett will be made to take the flak.

February 24, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics, uranium | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rudd govt can use Peter Garrett as environment scapegoat

Standards sacrificed to save position THE AUSTRALIAN, 24 Feb 2010, PETER Garrett now appears likely to survive as Environment Minister.

He shouldn’t keep his job, because of incompetence and a failure of political instinct and courage, but he will stay out of political expediency.

By holding on to the crippled minister, the government can throw him to the wolves at a later date….The beleaguered minister’s residue of goodwill has been depleted and he now personifies the disillusion with climate change politics.

February 24, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics | , , , | Leave a comment

Dissension in Labor caucus over the Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan

Abbott sees ‘mood shifting’ from Rudd  HERALDSUN  AAP 23 Feb 2010,

“……One point of contention during the caucus meeting was the Rudd government’s expected decision to foist a nuclear waste dump upon the Northern Territory.Two members of caucus are understood to have spoken out against the move.Resources Minister Martin Ferguson told his colleagues the government wouldn’t run away from “tough decisions” and it had to deal with the nuclear waste

February 24, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Government manipulations on nuclear waste dumping

How to site a nuclear waste dump – Crikey,

22 February 2010 The Government is expected to announce tomorrow or Wednesday that it will repeal and replace the Howard Government’s much-criticised Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005, and that a nuclear waste dump will be established at Muckaty Station, virtually in the middle of the Northern Territory. Continue reading →

February 23, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Labor MP to fight against NT nuclear waste dump

Hale to fight own party against nuclear dump  ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) By Louisa Rebgetz 20 Feb 2010
As speculation mounts that a nuclear waste dump will be located in the Northern Territory, MP Damian Hale says he will “fight tooth and nail” to prevent it happening. Continue reading →

February 20, 2010 Posted by | Northern Territory, politics | , , , , | Leave a comment

Bob Hawke pushes for Australian lucrative nuclear waste import industry

Aust has a duty to take world’s nuclear waste, Hawke says The Canberra Times BY SCOTT HANNAFORD 20 Feb, 2010 Australia had an unarguable responsibility to accept the world’s nuclear waste and discarded nuclear weapons, and could create a huge new industry for the country by doing so, former prime minister Bob Hawke said last night.

aste, Hawke says – Local News – News – General – The Canberra Times

February 20, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Rudd will put a radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory

a few prominent white suits (living well away from the NT) could indeed see this as the beginning of a bonanza of taking in the rest of the world’sradioactive wastes.

Once again – it’s all simple politics. The Australian government is obligated to take back , within a year or so, radioactive wastes from UK – wastes that originated in Australia’s terrorist target – the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.

There is no simple solution. Perhaps this relatively small nuclear waste dump could be situated at Lucas Heights, where it started, or perhaps it could join the existing radioactive waste at Woomera in South Australia.  Then Lucas Heights could be closed, and that would be the end of it.

No such simple story, however, and in fact, no story at all, as it’s all decided very quietly – let the Australian public sleep on!

But – it must be the Northern Territory  – they’re the only ones who cannot defy the federal government, – all the other States have the power to veto taking in nuclear wastes.

Anyway,a few aborigines could indeed see it as a good deal, getting a living standard equal to the rest of Australia perhaps –  though the rest of us didn’t need to have our land turned into a radioactive waste in order to get that standard.

More to the point, a few prominent white suits (living well away from the NT) could indeed see this as the beginning of a bonanza of taking in the rest of the world’s radioactive wastes.

February 19, 2010 Posted by | Christina reviews, Northern Territory, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia will not introduce nuclear power

To meet its climate goals, Australia shouldn’t rely on either nuclear power or fossil fuels, Hepburn said. Instead the country should aggressively conserve energy and use more renewable power.

Rudd Rules Out Introducing Nuclear Power in Australia BusinessWeek By Ben Sharples and Stuart Biggs February 17, 2010, (Bloomberg) — Australia, ….has ruled out introducing nuclear power to the country and instead will pursue other low- carbon energy options, including ‘clean’ coal. Continue reading →

February 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment