A tiny percentage of South Australian people coerced into the decision on nuclear waste dump
This is a decision which will affect all South Australians, not just a tiny percentage of people who have experienced four years of federal government promises and pressure to acquiesce.
the Minister failed to mention the main component of the project — long lived intermediate level waste from the Lucas Heights reactor
Farmers and Traditional Owners decry SA nuclear more 
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/farmers-and-traditional-owners-decry-sa-nuclear-vote, Michele Madigan,20 November 2019
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- On 12 November, Senator Canavan, federal Minister for Resources, took a question from the rather more junior Senator Alex Antic. The questioner wondered whether there was any recent progress on the federal nuclear facility proposed for Antic’s own state of South Australia.
Union spokespeople are under no illusion that accidents are inevitable and about who will be automatically called for the cleanup. As Jamie Newlyn, South Australian Branch Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, warns: ‘MUA members work in critical points of the logistics cycle and therefore the safe handling and above ground storage for decades is of great concern to the MUA … ‘
A day of high temperatures and strong winds last month did nothing to deter opponents of the federal government’s nuclear plans from the latest Port Augusta Rally. Terry Schmucker, who owns a farm in nearby Poochera, had no vote in the recent poll. He was scathing about the inability of the nuclear industry to guarantee project safety when ANSTO has been unable to prevent radioactive leaks even on site.
After the rally, Aboriginal Co-Chairs of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (ANFA), Dwayne Coulthard and Vicki Abdulla, led a strong contingent to present ANFA’s petition to the office of South Australia’s Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan: ‘South Australia has legislation that makes such waste facilities illegal: The Nuclear Waste Storage (Prohibition) Act 2000 … We ask you to act now and protect South Australia and its people from Minister Canavan’s site selection process that has caused so much distress to South Australian communities … ‘
No, Senator Canavan, South Australians don’t believe that 452 people in one small town have the right to agree to burden us with all the nation’s nuclear waste — and forever.
In fact the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation has just set another challenge. With the results of their own Australian Electoral Company internal members vote showing 83 No and zero Yes votes, the Barngala have issued a statement which reads in part: ‘BDAC has written to Minister Canavan advising him of the result. BDAC has requested that given the first people for the area unanimously have voted against the proposed facility that the Minister should immediately determine that there is not broad community support for the project. ‘
With the arrival of the voting papers for the proposed alternative Flinders Ranges site on 14 November, the intensity of the division between potential yes and no voters in the small towns and hinterlands of Hawker and Quorn seems to have hit fever pitch. The potential yes voters welcoming of a new ‘industry’ to the area seem to disregard the effect a nuclear facility will have on the major tourism industry and Adnyamathanha heritage; not to mention the threats to groundwaters in an area subject to seismic activity and floods.
This is a decision which will affect all South Australians, not just a tiny percentage of people who have experienced four years of federal government promises and pressure to acquiesce.
Determined Aboriginal opposition to plan for Federal Nuclear Waste dump in rural South Australia
National waste dump: Aboriginal groups share support as ballot closure approaches, https://www.transcontinental.com.au/story/6504879/national-waste-dump-aboriginal-groups-share-support-as-ballot-closure-approaches/?fbclid=IwAR04J6eadTBu0gBqaT8IBVIo6jvv3wTo0hjnEbTqvbhRDJg6jOPdravwG2w, Amy Green, 21 Nov 19,
The fate of two outback communities at the centre of the federal government’s nuclear waste management facility could be determined before the end of the year.
A three year consultation clouded in controversy will come to a close on December 12 with the completion of a community vote in Hawker.
General Manager of the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility Taskforce Sam Chard said the government has been working to ‘hear the views of all interested parties including local residents, neighbours, business owners, Traditional Owners and the broader community’.
The Wallerberdina Station site has been opposed by the traditional owners, the Adnyamathanha people, for cultural reasons.
The Seven Sisters songline, one of the most significant creation tracks throughout Australia, runs nearby this site.
“We remain suspicious and frustrated by this flawed process of consultation, and we remain unwilling to support a nuclear waste dump on our country,” Ms Marsh said.
“Under our cultural law of the land it is our duty of care to care for the land, yet we feel we are being forced into accepting this poison.
“We ask all Australians to stand with us and end this flawed process of consultation. No more one-sided discussions, no more half-truths about the danger, no more secret deals behind closed doors.”
Speaking on behalf of the Annggumathanha Camp Law Mob, Ms Marsh said the federal government’s decision to exclude the Barngarla Traditional Owners from the Kimba community vote was another blow to First Nations people.
The proposal had been opposed by the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation, who battled with the federal government in a series of court proceedings.
“We give our heartfelt support to the Barngala Custodians of the Kimba region, we admire their courage and and hope they succeed in their quest to have their voices heard,” Ms Marsh said.
“The independent ballot conducted by Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation once more highlights the flawed process used by federal government.”
Aboriginal group votes against nuclear dump, but government department warns that they cannot veto it
Barngarla ballot shows “no support” for facility https://www.eyretribune.com.au/story/6503108/barngarla-ballot-shows-no-support-for-facility/?fbclid=IwAR1RVmemtqtKZXMRSYPUS85sTAmPayhMAFzTL4b-uCB2YLHVA5FZL80fW8E, Rachel McDonald 20 Nov 19,
The Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) have announced the result of a separate ballot on the two proposed Kimba sites for the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF).
The BDAC recently conducted a confidential postal ballot of its members through independent ballot agent Australian Election Company, asking voters the same question posed to residents of the Kimba District Council area in a ballot which concluded earlier this month.
The Kimba district ballot returned a 61.58 per cent ‘yes’ vote and 38.42% ‘no’ vote.
Of 209 eligible voters in the BDAC ballot, all Barngarla native title holders, 83 valid ‘no’ votes were counted, with zero yes votes returned.
“This unanimous “No” vote demonstrates that there is absolutely no support at all within the Barngarla community for the NRWMF,” the board said in a statement.
The BDAC has written to resources minister Matt Canavan advising him of the result.
“BDAC has requested that given the first people for the area unanimously have voted against the proposed facility that the minister should immediately determine that there is not broad community support for the project,” the board said.
“In light of this total rejection of the NRWMF by the Barngarla people, it is BDAC’s responsibility to continue to give voice to the profound concerns Barngarla traditional owners have regarding the NRWMF, and to take whatever steps are necessary to oppose the NRWMF being located on Barngarla Country.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science said the ballot would be considered alongside other consultation.
“We will consider the results of the Barngarla’s own ballot alongside the ballot of people who live in Kimba, as well as submissions received, neighbour and business surveys, and direct feedback including at our drop-in offices over several years.
“The department has said on numerous occasions that the facility will only be delivered alongside a community that broadly supports it, that no single metric or number will determine the level of support, and that no one group or individual will have a right to veto the facility.“
The spokesperson said the minister and the department had been working closely with relevant Indigenous representative groups throughout the consultation process and had previously offered to finance a ballot.
“Those conversations are in some instances ongoing.
“With respect to heritage, while native title on both of the Kimba sites has been extinguished, expert heritage consultants were engaged by the department to conduct an independent desktop assessment of Aboriginal cultural heritage, and confirmed no registered heritage sites in or surrounding them.”
Community submissions on the proposed facility will remain open until December 12.
Kimba and Flinders Ranges communities do not know what nuclear wastes they are getting, and for how many decades
Dump in decades, The Advertiser, GREG BANNON, Quorn, 19 Nov 19, REGARDING the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility, taskforce manager Sam Chard wrote a separate facility “will be found for the permanent disposal of intermediate level waste, but that’s a few decades off” (“Nuclear assurance”, The Advertiser, 16/11/19).
Temporary storage of intermediate-level waste is a major reason why some in the communities of Kimba and the Flinders Ranges are objecting so strongly to this proposal.
The Federal Industry Department acknowledges this material will need to be disposed of for 10,000 years to be considered safe. After four decades a disposal site has not been established and now we are being told it is still “a few decades off”.
The Department acknowledges that intermediate-level waste is the most toxic nuclear waste in Australia. We have asked for, but have received no guarantees, that this material will not end up being stranded at whichever site is chosen at the end of this ballot process. Why should these communities be expected to accept all of Australia’s nuclear waste, on behalf of all Australians, when they don’t know what they are signing up for?
Flood risk at proposed nuclear dump site at Wallerberdina.
Barb Walker shared a post. Flinders Local Action Group Fight To Stop Nuclear Waste Dump In Flinders Ranges SA, 18 Nov 19Last Thursday five members of FLAG met with James Rusk from AECOM, and Johnathon from DIIS to voice our concerns regarding the flood threat from the Hookina Creek to the proposed dump site at Wallerberdina.
James admitted that flood waters could cover the site up to a meter deep in a rare Possible Maximum Flood event, and that this could be easily mitigated by raising the surface area of the 40 hectare site by approximately one metre.
To put this in perspective: This would require the the mining of approximately 600,000 tonnes of top soil from a borrow pit close to the site,
the carting of 26,400 semi tipper loads and the spreading and compaction of this fill to a metre deep over the entire site. Huge amounts of water of would also be needed for the costruction.
The resulting massive desecration of the proposed area, containing many sites of cultural significance to the Adnyamathanha women was not perceived by either James or Johnathon to be a problem. – Bob. https://www.facebook.com/groups/941313402573199/
With 40% opposed to Kimba nuclear waste dump, is this “consensus”
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What counts as consensus within a community? Stock Journal
15 Nov 2019 The results are back in from the AEC ballot, gauging opinion for a potential radioactive waste facility within the Kimba community.As with the original issue, the two sides of the debate are differing on if the results showing 61.58 per cent of the population would support the site proves consensus.
Third-generation Buckleboo farmer and No Radioactive Waste on Agricultural Land in Kimba or SA chair Peter Woolford said the ballot results were not surprising, but did show there was a considerable amount of opposition to the waste facility. “You can’t have 40pc opposed and say you’ve got clear support,” he said. “That’s nearly every second person in the street.”….. https://www.stockjournal.com.au/story/6495102/what-counts-as-consensus-within-a-community/?cs=4894&fbclid=IwAR0IEQ8Rwwq9vZ302Q30286nqpXmH9uwa–P28yTXoNHh6d9jZQbDZjlRuA |
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A duplicitous letter from Sam Chard, General Manager, Radioactive Waste Taskforce
What a duplicitous letter from Sam Chard!
Nuclear assurance, by SAM CHARD, NRWMF taskforce general manager
I WRITE in response to the letter from Michele Madigan (“Nuclear vote”, The Advertiser, 11/11/19).
The National Radioactive Waste Management Facility will be for the permanent disposal of low-level waste, and temporary storage of intermediate-level waste.
A separate facility, likely a deeply geological one, will be found for the permanent disposal of the intermediate-level waste, but that’s a few decades off.
The transport of waste will be conducted safely, and examples in France and the UK demonstrate such a facility can coexist with a clean, green image and a successful export industry.
In the recent Kimba community ballot, more than 61 per cent of local residents supported hosting the facility, and now a ballot is under way for residents near Wallerberdina Station.
Traditional owner, neighbour, and business consultation is also being undertaken, and anyone else with an interest can make a submission
Australian Government report states that Lucas Heights spent nuclear fuel rods (for Kimba dump?) are High Level Wastes
This is an extract from a government report from1993.
The report calls the nuclear fuel rods from the decommissioned Hifar reactor High Level waste.
This would be dumped in the Flinders or Kimba.
Stop the lies, stop the dump.
“The report of the Research Reactor Review examines, among many other things, the issue of the management of spent fuel rods from the HIFAR reactor, which had been accumulating at Lucas Heights since 1963. The Report says:
The spent fuel rods at Lucas Heights can only sensibly be treated as high level waste.
The pretence that spent fuel rods constitute an asset must stop’ (p. 216)
waste. … The pretence that spent fuel rods constitute an asset must stop.”
(McKinnon Review, Principal Conclusions p.xxiii, July 1993)
Federal Govt to decide on new radioactive waste storage facility next year
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Federal Govt to decide on new radioactive waste storage facility next year, https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/federal-govt-to-decide-on-new-radioactive-waste-storage-facility/11706852?fbclid=IwAR0Ux4kgvx9WnXGWBNrmuAOxsLZEYDfanXY69yT7-ZRIbGIB009IAab5NPY Australia’s 40-year search for a site for a national radioactive waste storage facility could be coming to an end.The Federal Government says it’ll make a final decision early in the New Year on three sites under consideration in South Australia.
This week ballot papers are being sent to residents of Hawker in the Flinders Ranges to gauge local support. It follows a recent vote of the Kimba community on the Eyre Peninsula, which showed a majority in favour. Guests: Jeff Baldock, Kimba landholder and member, Working for Kimba’s Future group Producer: Cathy Van Extel |
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The vote of one town shouldn’t be the views of all people in South Australia.
Kimba’s pro nuclear advocates seem unaware of the facts about medical radioactive wastes
Jillian Marsh No Nuclear Waste Dump Anywhere in South Australia, 12 Nov 19, hi Andrew Baldock perhaps you are not aware that waste from nuclear medicine is deemed safe enough to dispose of in council waste depots – it does not need to be located in a high level waste facility as being proposed by Fed Govt. The reason they need a ‘remote location’ is about housing high level dangerous and long-lived waste. and it will be shipped in from hundreds of kilometres away, risking not only contamination of the actual site of the dump, but also the transport routes used to ship waste. this is a national issue that requires a national discussion. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1314655315214929/Australia’s National Radioactive Waste Management Taskforce disingenuous about medical nuclear wastes
Tim Bickmore No Nuclear Waste Dump Anywhere in South Australia 11 Nov 19, The Taskforce broadcasts minimal information about the type, amount, & location of facility bound radioactive wastes; including that % which SPECIFICALLY RESULTS FROM ACTUAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL USAGE.According to ANSTO Waste Projects & Strategic Planning Manager Kapila Fernando in 2017:
“ANSTO holds about 50 per cent of the radioactive waste in Australia, and 85 per cent of the waste ‘stream’ is directly associated with this nuclear medicine manufacturing program – including the fuel used to power the reactor, the machines used in medicine production, and the gloves and gowns used in the manufacture or administration processes – the cycle to produce radionuclides produces nuclear medical waste.”When questioned by (then) Senator Scott Ludlam (Senate Economics Legislation Committee Session May 2017); ANSTO CEO Adi Paterson informed us that in the 2016 financial year 80% of ANSTO’s diagnostic medical isotope production consisted of Molybdenum 99. Of which only 28% was used in Australia whilst 72% was exported.
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Let’s do the medical waste maths: – (50% x 85%) = 42.5 % of the national radioactive waste inventory results from medical isotope production. Currently (72% x 80%) = 57.6% of that results from Mo99 exports: which in future will triple, but at 2016 stood at (57.6% x 42.5%) = 24.5% of the total.
Therefore, only 18% (42.5%-24.5%) results from actual national use of medical isotopes: & not all of the 18% requires containment in the proposed facility.
PS ANSTO will not tell us the cost for producing OS exports vs economic return ~ but there is a very high probability (bordering on certainty) that the taxpayer is heavily subsidising OS usage…more https://www.facebook.com/groups/1314655315214929/
NUCLEAR WASTE DEBATE DIVIDING COMMUNITIES
NUCLEAR WASTE DEBATE DIVIDING COMMUNITIES Fight To Stop Nuclear Waste Dump In Flinders Ranges SA The Transcontinental November 06, 2019, My name is Ken McKenzie. The Flinders Ranges and Port Augusta have always been my home. I now reside in Flinders House in Quorn.
I wish to say that the radioactive waste dump being proposed for our region is going to be very dangerous for all of us and for generations to come if it is allowed to go ahead.
This is something for all South Australians both black and white to be involved in as it will have an effect one way or another on every one of us.
The area where they want to put this dump is on my tribal land. My ancestors are buried here.
The area also holds a huge connection to our women as this is their land overall. The government do not listen when we say we don’t want it.
The earthquakes and flooding stories told to me in our language goes back into time itself.
This is not the place for a radioactive waste dump. If the Lord doesn’t come down in the next few years, this is going to be a threat to all of us and our future generations to come.
I am also very concerned for people over at Kimba who are going thru the same grief that’s happening to us and my family over here.
The money the government are throwing at us, trying to get us to forfeit our land is insulting and disrespectful to us all.
They have divided my family and our communities, and now we hear that without the much more dangerous intermediate radioactive waste being dumped here as well, that there is hardly any value to the community for putting it here.
Why didn’t they tell the communities all this in the first place. We didn’t want it four years ago and we certainly don’t want it now.
This whole process needs to be scrapped and the government needs to look at a new way to get people to ever trust them again.
False promises of lots of permanent jobs – from National Radioactive Waste Management agency
Greg Bannon Fight To Stop Nuclear Waste Dump In Flinders Ranges SA, 11 Nov 19. -
- Rio Tinto operates driverless trains, hauling 28,000 tonnes of iron ore at a time.
- 3D laser scanning technology can separate humans from potentially dangerous operations, confined areas and boring or repetitive work.
- Remote cameras and sensors operate 24/7, recording and storing everything.
Australian Government propaganda promoting nuclear waste dump to a rural community
Another pack of 15 glossy brochures arrived in our mail last week. Only one was new, all the rest were sent last year.
• How many people actually read them all cover to cover last year?
• How many just had a quick flick through, looked at a few photos and read a few lines?
• What did people do with the first lot?
• What happens with this lot – stack them on the bookshelf next to the others?
Those who support the dump don’t need to read them because they don’t need any more convincing.
Those who don’t support the dump don’t need to read them again because nothing has changed. The site was geologically and culturally unsuitable last year. That hasn’t changed.
So why send all this stuff again? Is it good use of tax payers’ money when the whole of the east coast is burning and the country is in the grip of potentially the worst drought in recorded history?
What do these brochures cost to compile, print and produce, in colour and on highest quality paper?
Imagine the benefit to our region if all these publishing resources had been directed at promoting our magnificent Flinders Ranges? Of course, a campaign like that would cost millions!
This dump has been a con job from the start and no one knows where the finish line is – the judge makes the rules!
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