Category Archives: Omanama

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

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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

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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

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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:

Media Conference: delegation brings opposition to radioactive waste plan to Canberra

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Media Conference: Tuesday 11am Canberra
Six communities, one concern: delegation brings opposition to radioactive waste plan to Canberra.

Representatives of the six regional communities under consideration as possible sites for a national radioactive waste facility are in Canberra today to highlight their concerns and call for the sites to be removed from any further assessment or short-listing.

A media conference will be held at 11am on Tuesday March 1 in the Senate Courtyard. The group will also be available for interviews throughout the day.

In November 2015 Federal Resource Minister Josh Frydenberg named three sites in South Australia and one each in New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory as potential locations for a facility where low level radioactive waste would be buried and long lived intermediate level waste stored above ground.

There has since been deep concern and active opposition to the waste plan at each of the sites.

Representatives are in Canberra to convey these concerns to a range of federal politicians ahead of the close of public comment on the plan on March 11. Resources Minister Frydenberg has indicated that while he is not personally available, two of his advisers will meet with the delegation.

“We come from very different parts of Australia, but we share a common concern”, said Sue Woolford, who lives near the two proposed Kimba sites in South Australia.

“We do not want to see this material moved into any of our regions where we live, work and raise our families. We are coming together as a community for our communities”.

Individual landholders volunteered the sites at Hill End (NSW), Hale (NT), Cortlinye, Pinkawillinie and Barndioota (SA) and Oman Ama (Qld), but consent was not sought – nor required – from Traditional Owners, neighbours or the local community.

Minister Frydenberg intends to narrow this list following the closure of the public comment period with a view to selecting a preferred site by the end of 2016.

“This process has been completely back to front. Picking sites first and then consulting with the affected communities makes no sense,” said Robyn Rayner from Hill End,NSW.

“The Government has repeatedly said that it will respect the wishes of local people. We are travelling to Canberra with one voice to make it clear that many people in our communities are concerned about and opposed to this plan. We are calling on the government to hear us as we are not going to give up”.
Media conference: 11am Tuesday March 1 in the Senate Courtyard.

For further comment or to arrange interviews contact:

Kimba (two sites): Sue Woolford, 0427 274 058
Hill End: Robyn Rayner, 0412 420 210
Oman Ama: Mark Russell, 0439 420 470
Hale: Loyola Jones, 0455 777 519
Flinders: Regina MacKenzie, 0432 483 440

Friends of Omanama Media Release

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Friends of Omanama

Media release

29 February 2016

 

Six communities, one concern: Oman Ama delegates take radioactive waste dump opposition to Canberra

 

Representatives of the six regional communities being actively considered as possible sites for a national radioactive waste facility are taking their concerns to Canberra next week. They include Mark Russell and Annette Clement who have travelled from one of the proposed communities, Oman Ama near Inglewood in Southern Queensland.

 

In November 2015 Resource Minister Josh Frydenberg named this site in Queensland, plus three sites in South Australia and one each in New South Wales and the Northern Territory as potential locations for a facility where low level radioactive waste would be permanently stored and intermediate level waste would be temporarily stored. “The Government cannot tell us how long this temporary storage would last for, as they admit they have no permanent solution for disposing of this waste which has a much longer half-life and is more dangerous” said Mark Russell.

There has been deep concern and active opposition to the waste plan at each of the sites, including from Friends of Oman Ama, a group formed to oppose the site in Queensland.

Annette Clement and Mark Russell are travelling to Canberra from Queensland and tomorrow, Tuesday 1 March, will join their colleagues from the other sites to convey these concerns to a range of federal politicians. Resources Minister Frydenberg has indicated that while he is not personally available, two of his advisers will meet with the delegation, as will other politicians from a range of political parties.

“We come from very different parts of Australia, but we share a common concern”, said Mark Russell, a local grazier whose property is near the site.

“We do not want to see this material moved into our region. This is where we live, where we work and where we raise our families” said Inglewood mother of four, Annette Clement, whose bank manager has told her that the value of her small property is likely to decrease should the project go ahead.

The site at Oman Ama was volunteered by local landholders when they were offered four times the market price by the Federal Government as part of the initial steps in what local GP, Dr Colin Owen, describes as a flawed process. He said at a recent Friends of Oman Ama meeting “We are not anti-nuclear, we are not anti-nuclear waste, but we are anti this process which is dividing our community”. No discussions were held – nor required by the process – with neighbours of the property, nor was the local community advised these negotiations were taking place prior to the November announcement. Many local residents only learned of it through the media.

“We do not want a nuclear waste facility built in the midst of rich grazing and agricultural land, including organic farms” said free-range pig and sheep farmer Belinda Marriage, who suggests that a better boost to the local economy would be focussing on the produce grown in the area and on food tourism, adding “Taste it, don’t waste it”

“We do not support the community consultation process, which is dividing the community and adding to its stress levels” added Sue Campbell, whose family has farmed next door to the proposed site for generations, and who remembers going to Bennets Gully for picnics as a child. Sue is a Mental Health Nurse serving the wider Inglewood community and has noticed a decrease in mental well-being in the area since the site selection process was announced in November 2015.

“The Minister has consistently stated that the Government will respect the wishes of the community, but then arbitrarily confines this to a 50km boundary around the site, so disenfranchising many property owners who are likely to be affected” said Mark Russell as he prepared to depart for Canberra to ensure justice for the community he represents.

Minister Frydenberg intends to narrow this list to two or three sites, following the closure of the public comment period on 11 March, with a view to selecting a preferred site by the end of 2016.

 

 

 

ends

 

Media contact:          Wendy Moline         0439 493 582

 

Mark Russell is available for interview after 4 pm Monday 1 March,

please contact Wendy Moline to arrange this

Join Annette Clements of Friends of Omanama for dinner

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Dear Nuclear Free Friends,

Imagine if you were given just 120 days to stop a nuclear waste dump from being built in your community…

What would you do?

The people of Inglewood are in that situation.  A property at “Omanama”  just outside of Inglewood – 3 hrs west of Brisbane- was nominated by a local landowner for bonanza value sale to house Australia’s national nuclear waste.  The community was notified on Nov 13 and and the deadline for their response is March 11.  Inglewood is one of 6 sites that have been selected by the Federal Government for consideration.

Representatives from “Friends of Omanama” will be heading to Canberra this week to meet up with their counterparts in 5 other nominated communities to tell the Federal Government that they stand united in their opposition to nuclear waste being dumped on remote communities – in irrational and undemocratic processes!

They will be stopping in Brisbane on their way to and from Canberra.

Sorry for late notice…

I invite you to join Annette Clements of Friends of Omanama for dinner tomorrow night:

Sunday, Feb 28
6pmish
out the back – 30 Granville Street, West End
feel free to bring a plate or something to share!

We may also have a NUCLEAR -FREE MORNING TEA and Canberra report back with Annette Clements and Mark Russell of Friends of Omanama
Wednesday March 2
in the morning – south brisbane – at the QCC or another venue – so…

IF you can’t come for dinner, let me know if you’d like to catch up on Wednesday!

For more info:

Robin
0411 118 737

There Are Two Sides To Every Story

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There are two sides to every story… Friends of Omanama is inviting people to hear a community perspective on nuclear waste issues:

The Federal Government has presented its agenda, now let’s get some balance in the presentation of facts…

This Friday, 12th Feb at 18:30
MacIntyre Sports Centre, Chilcott St, Inglewood.
Go to the Facebook Event Page

Presentions include:

  • Dr. Colin Owen – a local GP
  • Speakers on the social, psychological, environmental impacts…
  • Video presentation on nuclear medical waste and ANSTO’s safety track record (Dr. Peter Karamoskos – Nuclear Radiologist, a member of the Medical Association for the Prevention of War and a public representative on the Radiation Health Committee of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA))…
  • plus more!

Free sausage sizzle!

All welcome!
Let’s not allow our community to be divided!