The Australian Senate has passed legislation to force a national nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory (NT). Despite opposition from Aboriginal land owners, the NT government, environment groups and Labor the Federal Government can now officially build a nuclear waste repository in the NT after the legislation for the waste dump passed the Senate today. The Radioactive Waste Management Bill was passed with 34 in favour and 29 against. The two bills override the Northern Territory's objection to the radioactive waste dump after the South Australian government opposed a previous preferred site near Woomera . According to Federal Labor opposition MP, Warren Snowdon, it is the first time since 1978 that Territory law has been overridden. "It's an absolute disaster and it shows contempt for the Northern Territory community, it shows absolute contempt for land use planning in the Northern Territory," he said. The Territory Labor Government has been a resolute opponent of the plan, saying a nuclear dump will expose residents to a new security threat. The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Clare Martin , says transporting nuclear waste to the Territory would make it vulnerable to terrorists looking to make a dirty bomb . Ms Martin says experts on the issue have raised concerns about security at a national nuclear waste facility. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation 's (ANSTO) Craig Pierce says there would be no point trying to use low level waste to make a dirty bomb because the waste is mostly gloves and labcoats. "It simply would make no sense to get this material and want to blow it up," he said. Alice Springs on a large scale map "It would have no impact at all. On the intermediate level, that will have a high level of security when it is transported. It won't be transported for very far on road, on land, and it will have an appropriate level of security." The Australian Conservation Foundation said it expected community anger would escalate, now the bills had passed. "Last year the federal government gave the people of the NT an absolute categorical assurance there would be no dump in the NT," ACF nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney said. "Today they have broken this promise and bulldozed through bad law in an attempt to gag community concern." The Australian Greens say the legislation could be manipulated to allow waste from other countries to be stored in the Northern Territory. The party is angry that amendments they proposed were not considered when the bill was passed. Greens Senator Rachel Siewert says the legislation is not strong enough. The NT Environment Centre's Gary Scott has hinted at civil disobedience similar to that seen during the anti-uranium mining protests at Jabiluka . "I don't think Territorians are going to take this lying down unless that is in front of bulldozers," Mr Scott said. The Centre’s Peter Robertson has emphasised the importance of the waste dump for the federal government to realise its plans for a second nuclear reactor. "If we get the dump, Sydney gets the reactor". Establishing a national waste dump is a precondition for the operating license for the proposed OPAL nuclear reactor which will replace Lucas Heights in Sydney. A detailed study of three Defence sites - Fishers Ridge, 43 km south-east of Katherine , Harts Range, 100 km north-east of Alice Springs , and Mount Everard, 27 km north-west of Alice Springs - will be conducted next year, with the facility to be operational by 2011. Coalition MPs, including Northern Territory Country Liberal senator Nigel Scullion, secured a number of amendments to the bill. They included the ability of the NT government and indigenous land councils to decide on other site options, a prohibition on the storage of high level and overseas waste and the free storage of the NT's own waste. Mr Hill says waste should be stored closer to Lucas Heights in Sydney where it is generated. Radioactive waste is currently stored at over 100 locations across the country, including in hospital basements in major capital cities and at universities.
The Australian Senate has passed legislation to force a national dump on the Northern Territory (NT). Despite opposition from Aboriginal land owners, the NT government, environment groups and Labor the can now officially build a nuclear waste repository in the NT after the legislation for the waste dump passed the Senate today. The Radioactive Waste Management Bill was passed with 34 in favour and 29 against. The two bills override the Northern Territory's objection to the radioactive waste dump after the government opposed a previous preferred site near . According to Federal Labor opposition MP, Warren Snowdon, it is the first time since 1978 that Territory law has been overridden. "It's an absolute disaster and it shows contempt for the Northern Territory community, it shows absolute contempt for land use planning in the Northern Territory," he said. The has been a resolute opponent of the plan, saying a nuclear dump will expose residents to a new security threat. The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, , says transporting nuclear waste to the Territory would make it vulnerable to terrorists looking to make a . Ms Martin says experts on the issue have raised concerns about security at a national nuclear waste facility. The 's (ANSTO) Craig Pierce says there would be no point trying to use low level waste to make a dirty bomb because the waste is mostly gloves and labcoats. "It simply would make no sense to get this material and want to blow it up," he said. Alice Springs on a large scale map "It would have no impact at all. On the intermediate level, that will have a high level of security when it is transported. It won't be transported for very far on road, on land, and it will have an appropriate level of security." The said it expected community anger would escalate, now the bills had passed. "Last year the federal government gave the people of the NT an absolute categorical assurance there would be no dump in the NT," ACF nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney said. "Today they have broken this promise and bulldozed through bad law in an attempt to gag community concern." The say the legislation could be manipulated to allow waste from other countries to be stored in the Northern Territory. The party is angry that amendments they proposed were not considered when the bill was passed. says the legislation is not strong enough. The NT Environment Centre's Gary Scott has hinted at civil disobedience similar to that seen during the anti-uranium mining protests at . "I don't think Territorians are going to take this lying down unless that is in front of bulldozers," Mr Scott said. The Centre’s Peter Robertson has emphasised the importance of the waste dump for the federal government to realise its plans for a second nuclear reactor. "If we get the dump, Sydney gets the reactor". Establishing a national waste dump is a precondition for the operating license for the proposed which will replace in Sydney. A detailed study of three Defence sites - Fishers Ridge, 43 km south-east of , Harts Range, 100 km north-east of , and Mount Everard, 27 km north-west of Alice Springs - will be conducted next year, with the facility to be operational by 2011. Coalition MPs, including Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion, secured a number of amendments to the bill. They included the ability of the NT government and indigenous land councils to decide on other site options, a prohibition on the storage of high level and overseas waste and the free storage of the NT's own waste. Mr Hill says waste should be stored closer to in Sydney where it is generated. Radioactive waste is currently stored at over 100 locations across the country, including in hospital basements in major capital cities and at universities.
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nuclear waste
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Federal Government
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South Australian
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Woomera
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Territory Labor Government
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Clare Martin
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dirty bomb
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Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
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Australian Conservation Foundation
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Australian Greens
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Greens Senator Rachel Siewert
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Jabiluka
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OPAL nuclear reactor
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Lucas Heights
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Katherine
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Alice Springs
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Country Liberal
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Lucas Heights