Nuclear Waste Management Bill in Senate this Wednesday

Posted on by Alex Bhathal
The National Radioactive Waste Management legislation is due to go before the Senate, this coming Wednesday 8th Feb.

Check here for quick, easy actions you can take, wherever you are in Australia.

Late February marks the second anniversary of the introduction of Commonwealth Minister for Energy and Resources Martin Ferguson’s new National Radioactive Waste Management Bill, which is an identikit of the previous Howard government legislation, only even more draconian.

Diane Stokes and other Traditional Owners from Muckaty Station outside Ferguson's office in October 2010. After travelling 2000 kms to talk with him, they found themselves shut out of his office on the grounds they had not made an appointment. When I heard, I came over to meet with them and pledged to do whatever I could to stop the legislation from passing.

Ferguson’s proposed National Radioactive Waste Management legislation gives
the Resources Minister powers to override Environment Protection, Heritage and Indigenous rights’ laws and even property title!  Ferguson’s legislation also names Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory as the proposed site for a national nuclear waste facility.  This site stands on top of the great artesian basin.

Ferguson calls setting up a nuclear waste dump in Australia his ‘duty’ but actually, Australia’s CURRENT levels of radioactive waste are better managed in our existing medical research facilities around the country, where containers are above ground and can be carefully monitored – the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency says this.  So we might ask why Ferguson is so keen to develop a greater capacity for nuclear waste in Australia.

Please read this bulletin from Beyond Nuclear Initiative and consider one of their suggested quick, easy actions – the Muckaty traditional owners who oppose these laws urgently need your support to stop them getting passed.

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Alex Bhathal

Social worker; refugee advocate; environmental activist. National Director of Repower Health and President, AASW Victorian Branch; mum of two. Ran six times as the Greens candidate for the federal seat of Batman, former International Secretary of the Australian Greens; former Co Convenor of the Victorian Greens. But I'm no longer with the party.

2 thoughts on “Nuclear Waste Management Bill in Senate this Wednesday”

  2. Thanks Larry for those links; down here in Melbourne, would have been too easy to miss them. Now that the legislation has passed, I’m hoping the whole country will get behind you all in the NT to stop it from becoming a reality. Alex

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