South Australia’s Greens leader Mark Parnell urges a united stand against nuclear waste dump plan.
Last week, I went to Port Augusta and Hawker to meet with residents fighting against the Federal Coalition Government’s plans to build a national nuclear waste dump in South Australia. It was great to see both the Kimba and Flinders Ranges communities working together to show that they are NOT the “willing” communities that the Government was hoping for.
This ill-conceived push by the Federal Government to dump low to intermediate level nuclear waste in regional South Australia has seen farmers, residents, business people, Traditional Owners, community campaigners and the Greens join together, united in their call for the dump to be dumped.
I was pleased to speak at the rally held in Port Augusta on 19 August, outlining the Greens’ continued opposition to the dump and highlighting the grossly mismanaged site selection process that the Federal Government has conducted and how divisive this has been to the affected South Australian communities.
I had timed my visit to the region to coincide with the ballot of local residents to gauge their views on the dump. However, days before the ballot papers were due to be sent out, the vote at both locations was postponed following a Supreme Court injunction brought by the Barngarla people – the Traditional Owners of much of Eyre Peninsula including land in the Kimba region.
The Barngarla people successfully argued that it was potentially a matter of racial discrimination to allow property owners to vote in the ballot, but not Native Title holders. Similar arguments apply to the Adnyamathanha people of the Finders Ranges, all of whom have strong attachments to the land, but most live outside the narrow area to be balloted. The case has now been referred to the Human Rights Commission.
Additionally, the people of Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Pirie are seriously concerned that they too have no opportunity to participate in the ballot. The Greens want to see the community consultation and ballot extended to local Traditional Owners as well as those living in the proposed nuclear waste ports or along the nuclear waste transport corridor.
Everyone who is potentially impacted by this plan should be included and their voices should be heard.
To have your voice heard, make a submission to Federal Minister for Resources Senator Matt Canavan via email at radioactivewaste@industry.gov.au by 24 September.
Environmental and flooding dangers to planned Flinders Ranges nuclear waste dump
Susan Craig, Conversation Starter 31 Aug 18
Extract from Flinders University and Army expedition on the flooding of the land proposed for the Intermediate Level Radioactive Nuclear Waste Depot at Wallerberdina Flinders Ranges. Link also below.
“The water level and major ion content of the floodwaters in Lake Torrens were measured over the duration of the flood (March–December 1989), and the volume flow and major ion content of the flood in the Pirie-Torrens corridor which discharged into Spencer Gulf at Port Augusta and peaked on 17th March 1989 were recorded. https://www.tandfonline.com/…/abs/10.…/03721426.2015.1065467
Standing only a few kilometres away from the proposed nuclear radioactive waste dump, with the magnificence of the Flinders all around us, was eery and beyond comprehension.
The inevitable nuclear waste containment failure resulting in a spill and speepage, will be catastrophic for the water table in this area and the Spencer Gulf. Senator Matthew CanavanDavid RidgwaySenator Rex Patrick Steven Marshall Grain Producers SA Port Lincoln Times Port Lincoln Tunarama Kangaroo Island Questions, Notices & Discussions No Radioactive Waste Facility for Kimba District ABC North and West ABC Eyre Peninsula Anti-Nuclear Coalition South Australia Friends of the Earth Australia Conservation Council of South Australia Australian Conservation Foundation Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association RNTBC ARA Merna Mora Station International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) https://www.facebook.com/susie.craig.773?fref=gs&hc_ref=ARRM9Ah7FcgAkvlrJDRrGZLdHJutU-E5Pye7vFtlfTn07v4y-t3zm3YUGhtTkIuIJhk&dti=344452605899556&hc_location=group
Michele Madigan – update on the struggle against nuclear waste dumping in the Flinders Ranges
Marchers unite against federal nuclear dump https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=56295, Michele Madigan, 26 August 2018
There were, to quote Port Augusta’sTranscontinental,‘hundreds ‘ of us crossing the bridge on Sunday 19 August, the ‘younger generations’ in the forefront. The glory of the Flinders Ranges were well in sight to our east, the international grain farming land of Kimba 158km to the southwest. The constant cry ‘Not Flinders, Not Kimba, No waste dump is our call’ rang out.
Among the powerful speeches that followed were Harry Dare’s stirring words quoted above, as well as a spellbinding address by young Adnyamathanha woman, Candace Champion, who said: ‘I do not want to bring a child into this world knowing that I’m going to leave them more burdens and heartbreak … You can study your whole life in a classroom, but my family have studied, witnessed, watched and grown on that land for 60,000 years.’
In recent weeks there have been many developments in the federal government’s plan for a national radioactive waste management ‘facility’. In time for the planned vote by a tiny percentage of those who will be impacted by the site selection, the Resources Minister, visiting both regions, tripled to $31 million the amount which the federal government is offering the final site community. And instead of 15 promised jobs, there are now 45.
Paradoxes abound. The $31 million includes $3 million allocated for ‘Aboriginal economic and cultural heritage’ — awarded for a project which many Adnyamathanha say will destroy the Aboriginal culture of the region.
The proposed facilities design finally appeared three years into the campaign. Continue reading
Survey shows North region of South Australia mainly opposed to nuclear waste dump
Anecdotally, some regional business owners in the Far North, members of B-SA; claim they had no knowledge of the survey prior to it’s release……
High Level Waste mentioned on pages:
p15 = 55% against overall;
p24 = Eyre Peninsular 41% anti 41% pro;
p27 = Far North including Port Augusta & Whyalla 50% pro 39% anti;
p32 = Murray/Riverland 50% anti:
p74 = Barossa 80% anti + KI 74% anti + SE 63% anti
http://business-sa.com/getmedia/35736f09-7f57-4cc7-bbff-e30bd4856077/Regional-Voice_Brochure
Protesters against national radioactive waste dump march on Joy Baluch AM Bridge
Marco Balsamo www.transcontinental.com.au/profile/605/marco-balsamo
PROTEST: ‘Hundreds of people from across the state came together to rally
against the proposed national radioactive waste management facility. …
‘ The rally was organised by the Barngarla people, just two days after
the Supreme Court of South Australia granted an interlocutory injunction
on the community postal ballot.
Barngarla man Harry Dare said it was important for people of all backgrounds
to stand together against the facility.
‘“United we can fight. We can’t fight singularly,” Mr Dare said. …
‘Adnyamathanha woman Candace Champion was among the guest speakers,
calling on the government to listen to the opinions of the traditional owners.
‘“I do not want to bring a child into this world knowing that I’m going to leave them
more burdens and heartbreak than blessings and a safe environment,” she said.
‘“You can study your whole life in a classroom, but my family have
studied, witnessed, watched and grown on that land for 60,000 years.”’
Read more of Marco Balsamo‘s interesting reportback:
www.transcontinental.com.au/story/5596675/standing-up-against-nuclear/?cs=5812
Barngarla Aboriginal community’s Native Title includes the land around Kimba nuclear waste dump plan: Human Rights Commission to consider their voting rights
Kimba vote debate moves to Human Rights Commission, Eyre Tribune, 24 Aug 18 Jarrad Delaney
The Barngarla community of Eyre Peninsula are hoping to take another step towards inclusion in the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility site selection ballot for Kimba as the matter now heads to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
On Thursday the Supreme Court of South Australia adjourned the matter of Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation v Kimba District Council with the two parties now scheduled to participate in conciliation in the commission at a date yet to be determined.
The injunction restricting the council from conducting the ballot remains in place.
Corporation co-chairperson Emma Richards said this was a great result and hopefully it would lead to the wider Barngarla community having a say on what happens on their land.
“We’re really happy with that because it allows us to challenge being excluded from the vote,” she said.
“We shouldn’t have to ask (to be included).”
Ms Richards said this also highlighted how the Barngarla community missed out on the consultation process.
The Barngarla community celebrated determination of Native Title with a handover ceremony held in Whyalla in June. The claim covers 44,500 hectares of the Eyre Peninsula and Iron Triangle, and includes the land around Kimba….
The Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, who is also challenging against the location of a potential site near Hawker, has applauded the court’s decision and the Barngarla’s efforts.
“If Traditional Owners are shut out of this ballot then the government will not be in a position to rely on the results as any sort of community support or otherwise,” association chief executive officer Vince Coulthard said.https://www.eyretribune.com.au/story/5605912/kimba-vote-matter-moves-to-commission/
Kimba’s aging population will hand the disaster of a “temporary” nuclear waste dump on to their descendants
“The Federal Government has consistently misled Kimba residents about its intentions. Residents have been repeatedly told that the above ground store for long-lived intermediate-level waste^ would hold waste for several decades until a deep underground disposal facility is available,” Mr Green saidMost of Kimba’s residents are the Silent and Baby Boomer generation so are unlikely to see a deep repository built,
Furthermore, this group will never face the outcome of our future, and this is a serious matter of choice being made for thousands of generations, by so very few.
keywords: ‘Residents’, ‘above-ground store’, repeatedly told’, ‘long-lived intermediate-level waste’, ‘several decades’.
_____________
^including spent nuclear fuel reprocessing waste
source: the advertiser news blog – Adelaide now
https://goo.gl/NFSz5b
population of Kimba: https://goo.gl/CkaRZj
47.8% are over 45
33.2% are over 55
34.3% are 24 – 44
26.9% are under 24
Aboriginal group’s call for inclusion in nuclear waste vote now goes to the Human Rights Commission
Aboriginal group ‘just want to be included’ in vote on proposed nuclear waste dump in SA http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-23/sa-nuclear-waste-dump-vote-in-discrimination-claim/10157678, By court reporter Rebecca Opie, The Human Rights Commission has been asked to decide whether an Aboriginal group should have a say on the location of a proposed nuclear waste dump in regional South Australia.
A community vote on the proposed dump on the Eyre Peninsula was referred to the commission following accusations it discriminated against Aboriginal native title holders.
The Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation last week won a Supreme Court injunction against the District Council of Kimba, postponing the postal vote which was scheduled to be sent out last Monday.
The group argued the vote of about 800 Kimba residents contravened the Racial Discrimination Act by not including native title holders. On Thursday, the group’s lawyer Daniel O’Gorman SC said the matter had been referred to the Human Rights Commission which could be a “shorter route to the finish line” than proceeding through the court.
He said he would urge the commission to give the matter urgent consideration, but he was still waiting to hear back regarding the timeline.
Outside court, Linda Dare from the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation said it was not fair her family could not have their say.
“It’s depressing that we don’t get to have a say over our country,” she said.
“Everybody else gets to have a say — the Government and everybody else, the Kimba residents — but it’s my family that’s missing out. “We don’t want it. It is on our country — they can’t give it to us then take it away just like that. It’s not right.”
Native title holders ‘just want to to be included’
During last week’s hearing, the court heard the majority of the 211 native title holders lived outside the council’s boundaries, and that excluding them from the vote had the effect of “nullifying or impairing their rights”.
The group’s lawyer Mr O’Gorman said his clients had no issue with the vote going ahead, they just wanted to be included in it.
“That’s all they want, they just want to be included, they don’t want to be treated any differently because their rights are Aboriginal rights,” he said.
“There is no justification for excluding people on the basis of native title rights.”
Michael Burnett, representing the District Council of Kimba, told the court the fairest manner for the council to conduct the vote was to comply with “the statutory procedure that applies in the case of elections”.
“It’s not a vote that has direct consequences … it’s part of a range of consultations that will be taken into account,” he said.
Mr Burnett said there were direct consultations taking place with native title holders about the proposed sites, a claim which Mr O’Gorman rejected.
We say NO to nuclear waste dump in South Australia
We Say NO is a short film bringing together voices from South Australia and beyond presenting clear and united opposition to the Federal government’s proposal for a Radioactive Waste Management Facility in the State. “South Australia has spoken. We say NO, and we mean NO.” Regina McKenzie “Many voices bring promises of wealth, but one State, with a cohesive strong voice, says We Say NO.” Lavene Ngatokorua For more information see: http://www.nodumpalliance.org.au/
Earthquake 20 August near Hawker planned site for nuclear waste dump
NW of Hawker,
South Australia
Magnitude: 3.2
Depth: 10km
Origin (UTC): 19/08/2018 15:28
Epicentral Time: 20/08/2018 00:58
Source: © Commonwealth of
(Geoscience Australia) 2018
http://www.ga.gov.au
So called benefits from the waste dump don’t add up according to a new report
Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association RNTBC ARA Fight To Stop Nuclear Waste In The Flinders Ranges
So called benefits from the waste dump don’t add up according to a new report.
Down in the Dumps report released today shows that the financial benefits for theAboriginal community do not add up.
Full report here
https://www.conservationsa.org.au/down_in_the_dumps
Indigenous skill training programs are to be $3 million of these funds over the life of the project, yet it is not clear how much of this is double counting necessary training, or is simply a net reallocation from other indigenous
support programs that have had significant recent funding cuts
INDIGENOUS
The new promised community benefit package also mentions “up to $3 million for indigenous skills training and cultural heritage protection.”9 The words “up to” could
be doing a lot of work.
Regardless, the inconsistency of this announcement is revealing when this spending is compared to the size of some of the recent cuts to indigenous support programs by
both the federal and South Australian governments. Some are briefly summarised in Table 2. The “up to $3 million” over three years is roughly the same amount of money
cut from the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council in Port Augusta earlier this year.https://www.facebook.com/groups/941313402573199/?multi_permalinks=1791348750902989¬if_id=1534910507282378¬if_t=group_highlights
Destructive Process and Oversold Benefits: New Report questions nuclear dump economic case, as Govt ballot postponed
20 August 2018 A new report into the claimed economic benefits to regional communities of the 
Federal Government nuclear waste facility has found the government has exaggerated the benefits, and not properly factored in insurance costs and 
other risks.
The report’s release comes as the Federal Government scrambles to fix up a controversial community ballot process in the wake of a Supreme Court injunction. The ballot was due
to begin today (Monday) in the two affected communities of Kimba and Hawker.
“This whole process has been poorly conducted and horribly divisive from day one,” said Craig Wilkins, Chief Executive of the state’s peak environment body, Conservation SA.
“Knowing how reluctant many people in Kimba and the Flinders Ranges are to having a nuclear waste dump in their backyard, the Federal Government has greatly over-sold the economic benefits to try and buy community support.
“This report is a reality check for a community sick of the spin from the Federal Government,” he said.
Conservation SA commissioned economic think tank The Australia Institute to examine more closely Federal Government’s claims of an economic windfall for the affected communities.
The “Down in the Dumps” report compared the current Australian National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF) plans with similar facilities overseas, and found a raft of exaggerated jobs and economic return claims. For example, a proposed facility in Canada which is more than one hundred times larger with more functions and features, will cost only half as much to construct and operate.
As the report’s author, Dr Cameron Murray, states: ‘Either the waste facility is orders of magnitude larger than need for Australia’s nuclear waste, or the government has exaggerated the economic returns to the local community of the NRWMF facility’.
It also questioned the true value of the promised $31 million in local grants and infrastructure promises, as some of this appears to be double-counting, re-labelling of other programs or matched by cuts to other funding streams.
Adjusting the economic impact assessment to account for the exaggerated claims reduces the number of net full time jobs down to just 6.
“At the end of the day, the case for shifting waste across from Sydney to South Australia simply doesn’t stack up,” said Mr Wilkins.
“Why is the Federal Government pushing so hard to move Australia’s highest risk radioactive waste from Lucas Heights where it is safely and securely stored, to park it in SA in temporary sheds while they work out what to do with it?
“Wouldn’t it be better to work out the final disposal plan first, including the true cost and benefit to the local community, and then move it once when everything is sorted?
“Double handling is incredibly wasteful, is not international best practice, and makes no sense in terms of public health or radiation safety.
“It is time for the Federal Government to apologise, walk away and put in place a credible pathway for a long term, permanent solution to nuclear waste stored at Lucas Heights,” he said.
The full report can be found her
For comment:
Dr Cameron Murray, The Australia Institute, 0422 144 674
Craig Wilkins, Conservation SA, 0417 879 439
Exaggerated ‘benefits’ of a radioactive waste dump for rural South Australia
The economic benefits of a radioactive waste dump proposed for rural South Australia have been exaggerated, a new report warns https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/the-economic-benefits-of-a-radioactive-waste-dump-proposed-for-rural-south-australia-have-been-exaggerated-a-new-report-warns/news-story/34bfd2eba14e0b3a9975dc861315112a Peter Jean, Senior Federal Political Reporter, The Advertiser August 20, 2018
Hawker vote on nuclear dump siting delayed, after Bangarla people’s court win
Second nuclear vote delayed in SA https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/second-nuclear-vote-delayed-in-sa/news-story/7dd60e6cfa72bbe446a547ccbc7361bc Kathryn Bermingham, Australian Associated Press August 17, 2018
Another resident vote about a nuclear waste facility has been stalled in South Australia, after an indigenous group argued a similar poll was discriminatory.
A vote on whether the facility should be built near the rural town of Hawker has been delayed, after the Barngarla people were on Thursday granted a Supreme Court injunction to delay a vote on whether it should be built near Kimba.
Flinders Ranges Mayor Peter Slattery said the decision was made because the Kimba matter, due to be heard before the full court next week, may have consequences for the Hawker vote.
He said the decision to delay the Hawker vote was jointly made by the council and the federal government.
Two sites near Kimba, on the Eyre Peninsula, and one near Hawker, in the Flinders Ranges, have been short-listed as potential locations for a low-level radioactive waste storage facility.
The traditional owners of the Hawker site are the Adnyamathanha people, while the Barngarla are the traditional owners of the two Kimba sites.
Lawyer Dan O’Gorman, for the Barngala people, argued in the Supreme Court on Thursday that the poll presented issues of direct and indirect discrimination.
“These owners of land are treated differently and that’s because their rights are native title rights,” he said.
The court heard an example is that a person who owns a property at Kimba but lives away from the district would be entitled to vote, but a person who holds native title rights and lives away would not.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said on Friday the two votes should be held at the same time.
“Until the Barngarla challenge has concluded, the Hawker vote must be delayed,” she said.
“The traditional owners, including the Adnyamathanha people, deserve the right to vote and have their say on an issue that affects their traditional lands.”
Barngarla Aboriginal people win injunction to halt nuclear waste dump vote
South Australian Aboriginal group wins injunction to halt nuclear ballot http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-16/aboriginal-group-wins-injunction-to-halt-nuclear-ballot/10129292, By Claire Campbell
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 