Press Release: Queenslanders will stand with SA in nuclear waste campaign

Friends of the Earth Brisbane
Qld Nuclear Free Alliance

For immediate release:
29/04/2015

 

 

Queenslanders will stand with SA in nuclear waste campaign

Friends of the Earth Brisbane applauds the federal government decision to drop 5 sites, including one in Queensland, from its list of sites nominated to house national nuclear waste.  We now call on the government to remove the final site, Barndioota station, in SA from consideration and to drop the flawed site selection process immediately.

After announcing a list of 6 proposed sites in November, 2015, the federal government will reportedly  announce that a site in South Australia is the only site short-listed to house a new national nuclear waste repository.  The proposed site in Queensland, at OmanAma, near Inglewoood on the Darling Downs, and 4 other nominates sites in NSW, SA and NT are reported to have been dropped from the list.

“Queenslanders can feel both a sigh of relief and a tinge of sadness from this announcement,” states Friends of the Earth Brisbane spokesperson, Robin Taubenfeld.  “The community at Inglewood showed determined opposition to the project, to which they were given a mere 120 days to respond.  It is wonderful that their voices have been heard.”

“However, this fight is not over. The process which made this project wrong for Queensland, makes it wrong for South Australia as well.”

“Offering land owners bonanza prices and communities a pay-out to receive the nation’s unwanted waste is not a rational, science-based approach to managing Australia’s radioactive waste.”

“An initially suggested injection of $10 million for communities receiving the waste is a pittance for the 400 year life span of the proposed facility and site – and irrelevant in the face of the risks associated with the transport and long-term storage of radioactive waste,” Ms. Taubenfeld states.

“We will stand with people in South Australia in saying no to this unacceptable proposal,” Ms. Taubenfeld adds.

“The federal government needs to go back to the drawing board and to thoroughly consider all long term options for low and intermediate radioactive waste management. That includes the option of ongoing waste storage at the Lucas Heights site, south of Sydney, which already houses the majority of waste in question.”

Friends of the Earth is concerned that hosting a national nuclear waste dump will open the door for vastly greater volumes of vastly more hazardous high-level nuclear waste from nuclear power reactors around the world.

For more information:

Friends of the Earth Brisbane/Qld Nuclear Free Alliance – Robin Taubenfeld 0411 118 737

Campaign Materials – Omanama Nuclear Dump Opposition

Download and use these graphics as needed.  Click on the chosen graphic to open the large version, or right click the image and click “save link as” or “save target” (depending on browser):

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

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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:

Other Useful websites:

Stay in touch with the campaign:

 

How To: Make a Submission to Government About Nuclear Waste Dumps

Making Your Own Submission

Make a submission to the Federal Government re this proposal and please let your local state and federal MPs and councils know that you are concerned. If you are happy to share, please cc your submission to your local group. Feel free to use the letter to make your submission. Pick and choose the bits you like and personalise it by adding your own.

More information

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

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

Other Useful websites:

Stay in touch with the campaign: