Darwin to Adelaide Railway Planned for Transport of Imported Nuclear Waste
discussions were under way with the Yanks to store the US Nuclear Waste in Australia, and transport it with the Railway to ‘secure places’ in the NT Centre.
New Matilda, Markob 24/02/10 “… the Darwin to Alice train, built for no purpose other than a nuke waste train (it certainly, at a cost of $2billion-the interest on which is around $300k/day- had no economic upside or value, Continue reading
Should we allow bribing of a few to bring radioactive poisons to future generations?
It raises the question tho, should a community, or NLC, on receiving a bribe…have the right to approve a dump when it is the next 1000 generations who may have to…wear the impact of leakage?
New Matilda, Markob 24/02/10 “…the problem of allowing local communities to decide these things, for different reasons than Ferguson’s. This community clearly feels that this is not right – why would you put a waste dump at the confluence of 3 major rivers?- but that can change, unlikely as it sounds. It raises the question tho, should a community, or NLC, on receiving a bribe such as annual income and new housing, some jobs guarding a dump, sw pool etc, have the right to approve a dump when it is the next 1000 generations who may have to do repair work, or wear the impact of leakage? Who should decide?
Land rights are one thing, self determination another great principle, but what happens when the guardians simply want their people to have an acceptable standard of living and are sick of watching babies die, and sign anything?
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
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
Put Nuclear Waste at Lucas Heights, Not Aboriginal Land – Says Medical Body
MAPW believes that the safest current option for management of this toxic waste is likely to be continued storage at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.”
The Medical Association for Prevention of War notes with concern today’s announcement by Energy Minister Martin Ferguson that the Australian Government will pursue Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory as the preferred site for a nuclear waste dump. Continue reading
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
Aboriginal people across Australia will fight radioactive waste transport and dumping
only some people agreed to the dump “because they saw the dollar sign”. Although Elders had long warned that the radiation is dangerous,
“Aborigines from across the country will fight nuclear dumping” Goodooga, northwest NSW, 24 February 10 – Aboriginal people will be called from all over Australia to protest in the Northern Territory against any movement of nuclear waste across their traditional lands, an Aboriginal activist says. Continue reading
United Nations Envoy Condemns Australian Govt’s Aboriginal “Intervention”
Professor Anaya also criticised compulsory land takeovers proceeded without consent,
UN envoy demands changes to ‘racist’ intervention, Sydney Morning Herald, YUKO NARUSHIMA , February 25, 2010 Continue reading
Maralinga Victims: Aboriginal Class Action Proceeding
Aboriginal Victims to Sue British over nuclear tests February 21, 2010 PodOmatic | Podcast – 2SER’s Razors Edge Five aboriginal people affected by nuclear tests at Emu Field in 1953 have begun legal proceedings in the UK Continue reading
Legal action on aboriginal nuclear test victims
SPECIAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS Potential Australian Nuclear Tests Victims, Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement Inc. Coober Pedy Regional Times 23 Feb 2010, In June 2009, the English Courts ruled that military personnel and their families affected by the Nuclear Tests conducted in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s were entitled to bring personal injuries actions against the United Kingdom Government. Continue reading
Martin Ferguson pulls a swifty on Northern Territory Nuclear Waste Dump
S.11 of the [new]Bill overrides all state and territory laws that regulate or prohibit nuclear waste dumps
S.12 of the [new]Bill directly overrides the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 in a similar manner to the Howard-era Act. It also overrides the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Back to the future with Ferguson’s nuclear waste legislation crikey, 24 Feb 2010 “…Labor’s 2007 election commitment was to repeal the CRWMA, which overrode NT laws and any Commonwealth legislation that might have delayed or hindered the investigation of waste dump sites, and replace it with a “a consensual process of site selection”. And Ferguson insisted yesterday that that was exactly what was happening. Continue reading
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
Ferguson putting it over us on Muckaty nuclear waste dump
a small group of traditional owners were paid $200,000 to volunteer their land, but that the government had refused to make the agreement public
Nuclear waste dump should be ‘scrapped’
BigPond News February 23, 2010
Mr Sweeney ….. argued the government was still forcing a nuclear waste dump on a community that doesn’t want it. He says about 60 traditional owners have signed a petition opposing the development of the dump at Muckaty, some of whom Mr Ferguson claims volunteered the land. Continue reading
Nuclear news- last week and the coming weeks
Today, as I write this, Martin Ferguson is speaking on ABC Radio, Darwin. He’s explaining how the Federal Government will put a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station, while at the same time will repeal the Howard Government’s Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act.
So the Muckaty nuclear waste dump will be 1. voluntary (i.e. asked for by some aborigines), and 2. will be for returning Australia’s “own” wastes,
originating from Sydney’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor. (No question of radioactive wastes going to any of the States, or on Commonwealth or “whiteys'” land)
Sounds fine, doesn’t it? Let’s wait and see what happens when Obama gets to Australia in March, to talk about uranium sales to USA, under the GNEP, whereby wastes are to go back to the uranium’s place of origin.
Impossible to dump nuclear waste on white Australians’ land
ANSTO executive Steven McIntosh said …“We cannot really comment upon that policy process [of siting remote dumps]…….. but politics frankly was the determining factor.”
How to site a nuclear waste dump – Crikey.
22 February 2010 Apart from the dispute between traditional owners, there’s a more fundamental question of why remote areas are preferred for nuclear waste dumps. The prerequisites routinely mentioned – geological stability and distance from groundwater – can readily be achieved elsewhere, without the expense and danger of transporting nuclear waste thousands of kilometres. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
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