Time to dump the dump
The Australian Conservation Foundation has urged Senators to immediately repeal Howard Government laws designed to impose a national radioactive waste dump on the Northern Territory.
Public submissions to a Senate inquiry into the planned repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act close today.
The inquiry will hold public hearings in November before reporting to the Senate in December.
“The federal dump laws are undemocratic and should be scrapped - immediately and unconditionally,” said ACF nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney.
“Bad laws based on broken promises are no basis for the responsible management of radioactive waste.”
The Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act was controversially pushed through the Senate in late 2005 in an attempt to override State and Territory prohibitions on imposed federal radioactive waste dumping. It was opposed by Labor and the minor parties and was strongly criticised by key environmental, human rights, Indigenous and public health groups.
“In Opposition the ALP rightly opposed this heavy handed legislation, now Labor has the ability and responsibility to honour its federal election promise and repeal it.
“It is time to get the short term politics out of this long term issue and to restore integrity, credibility and community confidence in the management of radioactive waste in Australia.”
