[Greens-Media] Political fallout from nuclear waste in Darwin harbour

[Ludlam, Scott (Sen R. Siewert)]

Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens Senator for WA

MEDIA RELEASE


Wednesday 31 August 2005


Political fallout from nuclear waste in Darwin harbour

Senator Rachel Siewert is in Darwin today to support the community in
rejecting a national radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory. 

"Who in their right mind wants to see radioactive spent fuel passing
through Darwin Harbour?" Senator Siewert asked. "I challenge John Howard
to leave his office in Canberra, look people in the eye up here and
explain why this decision was made."

Transport of nuclear waste is one of the riskiest stages in the nuclear
fuel chain which leads from uranium mining to nuclear waste. The
reprocessed waste arriving from France is thousands of times more
radioactive than the material which was rejected by the people of South
Australia in 2004.

The Federal Government proposes to turn Darwin Harbour into a hub for
the movement of nuclear material in and out of the Territory for at
least the next 40 years. In addition to the lethal spent fuel shipments,
the Federal Government has identified several thousand cubic metres of
radioactive waste of many different categories which would also transit
the harbour on the way to the dump. Communities along the transport
route will be at risk of accident or misadventure. 

"Darwin Harbour is an icon," Senator Siewert said, "and we will not
stand by and let this happen. The Harbour is the centrepiece of life in
this City and is rich in biodiversity."

"It is a purely political calculation that the Howard Government has
made to sacrifice the Territory," Senator Siewert said. "I believe this
gamble will fail if all Australians rally around the Territory and CLP
Senator Nigel Scullion votes with his conscience when this comes before
the Senate."

"The Greens are committed to stopping the creation of this waste and
leaving it close to the point of production until a safe means of
storage is developed."

For more information or comment call Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025
Email senator.siewert at aph.gov.au  |  http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au