Conservationists, community groups unite to fight ‘immoral’ nuclear waste dump proposal

SA’s peak environmental body has vowed to fight the proposal for a long-term nuclear waste dump, as conservationists and community groups unite to oppose a concept they call immoral and desperate.

A passionate anti-nuclear waste supporter gets fired up at the Public meeting at Adelaide Town Hall to discuss tentative findings of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission. picture: Bianca De Marchi

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• ANALYSIS: A breathtaking vision for our state
• ELECTRICITY: Nuclear power ‘not viable — for now’
• TRADE: SA’s uranium exports could triple by 2040
• FUTURE: Could we combine uranium mining with fuel leasing?

SOUTH Australia’s peak environmental body has vowed to fight the proposal for a long-term nuclear waste storage facility in this state, as conservationists and community groups unite to oppose a concept they call immoral, desperate and dangerous.

Gearing for battle against a long-term nuclear waste storage facility, Conservation Council SA chief executive Craig Wilkins said yesterday that “we’re going to give it everything we’ve got”.

“This is one of those once-in-a-generation fights,” he said.

Questioning the royal commission’s estimates of financial costs and benefits, Mr Wilkin said he didn’t trust claims of a financil bonanza.

“The nuclear industry is expert at overstating the benefits, and radically understating the costs and risks,” Mr Wilkins said.

Nuclear waste protester Nexctaria Calan outside the Nuclear Royal Commission public meeting. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Representing Aboriginal Australians, Yankunytjatjara chairwoman Karina Lester said her people needed more time to consider the recommendations, which should be translated into local languages, but she did not expect an Outback dump to be welcomed.

“It is immoral and catastrophic to be talking about waste ... in remote South Australia ... where Aboriginal people are living,” she said.

“There is definitely a big concern, especially for those remote communities north of Port Augusta ... We shouldn’t be backed into a corner.”

Friends of the Earth nuclear campaigner Jim Green said the commission’s report was “remarkably downbeat” about nuclear power, but overly optimistic on the money to be made from waste.

A passionate anti-nuclear waste supporter at the public meeting to hear the tentative findings of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

“We need to focus the discussion on how much it would cost over vast periods of time,” he said.

“A minimum period of 10,000 years of active and costly management is required to look after deep underground repositories.”

Australian Youth Climate Coalition SA campaigner Dan Spencer urged the Premier to reject the waste dump and switch to 100 per cent renewable energy.

Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Dave Sweeney described waste storage plans as desperate and dangerous.

“Nuclear power is a dying industry but nuclear waste remains forever undead,” he said.

“Sadly the royal commission is proving to be a toxic Trojan Horse for a dangerous and divisive plan to turn remote South Australia into a permanent radioactive waste zone.”