Waking up to radioactive waste… Time to say NO! to a National Nuclear Waste Dump!

On November 13, 2015, the people of Inglewood Queensland and five other communities around Australia woke up to find that their region had been selected as a potential site to house Australia’s national nuclear waste.

In a highly-flawed and undemocratic process, without any community consultation, a local land-owner had offered up their property as the site for a radioactive active waste management facility. They were offered 4x the commercial value for the purchased parcel of land, if selected. Can you imagine the community’s surprise and confusion upon hearing this news?

Between 1998 – 2014, communities in South Australia and then the Northern Territory waged long and successful battles to stop the federal government imposing nuclear waste in their regions. Now, in a desperate move to secure a remote or rural site rather than develop a long-term waste management plan, the federal government has put the prospect of housing the nation’s nuclear waste in the hands of a de-facto private tendering process – with a sweetener of up to 10 million dollars for the accepting community. From this, 6 potential sites have been chosen.

These are:

• Sallys Flat – New South Wales, 2641 Hill End Road, Hill End
• Hale – Northern Territory, Lot 1933 Old South Road, Hale
• Cortlinye – South Australia, 2051 Buckleboo Hundred Line Road, Cortlinye
• Pinkawillinie – South Australia, 762 Peella Road, Pinkawillinie
• Barndioota – South Australia, 377 Wallerberdina Road, Barndioota
• Oman Ama – Queensland, Cunningham Highway, Gore (Darling Downs)

The selected communities have been given 120 days to respond. The deadline is March 11.

Imagine if this were taking place in your community…

The communities near nominated sites want their communities to have the right to decide what happens in their region based on balanced information and notions of community well-being. They are calling for the government to remove their region’s nominations and to develop a plan for long-term, rational and democratic management of Australia’s nuclear waste.

These communities are also under considerable pressure from ongoing government meetings and offers of incentive money. They are on the front lines of what is truly a national issue, requiring a national response.

Now is the time to act on their behalf. Let your voice be heard! Make a submission to the Federal Government telling them to stop imposing radioactive waste on these communities – and to come up with a bone-fide long term management plan for Australia’s nuclear waste!

Write your letter today!  Go to the Submission page for sample letters and tips on writing a submission.

*The comment period closes AEST 5.00pm 11 March 2016.*

More information:

Find the federal government plan here: http://www.radioactivewaste.gov.au/

Facebook groups have been formed for each of the shortlisted sites:

• NSW Sallys Flat/ Hill End
• QLD Omanama
• NT Hale
• NT Alice Springs
• SA Kimba region x 2 Cortlinye and Pinkawillanie sites
• SA No waste dumps!
• SA Flinders

Other Useful websites:

• http://beyondnuclearinitiative.com
• http://www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/oz/import-waste
• http://alec.org.au/news-a-events/alec-news/311-nuclear-waste-dump-submissions-due-march-11,-download-form-here.html

Stay in touch with the campaign:

• Contact your local group or Beyond Nuclear Initiative via Facebook
• QLD Friends of Omanama: https://www.facebook.com/Friends.of.Omanama/
• Or contact us to get on our email list: friendsofomanama@gmail.com