Kimba nuclear waste debate set to heat up again

The government says a new push for a nuclear waste dump in outback SA in 2021 is a must despite Labor and One Nation resistance.

The radioactive waste facility set to be built in South Australia will be one of the big political fights in Canberra this year.

Ahead of Parliament resuming for 2021 on Tuesday, federal Resources Minister Keith Pitt confirmed the Coalition would push ahead with its bid to establish a nuclear waste storage facility at Kimba in regional SA.

“I expect the legislation confirming Kimba as the location for this critically important facility to go before the Senate early this year,” Mr Pitt told The Advertiser.

Pauline Hanson essentially torpedoed the Federal Government’s push to build the facility at farming property Napandee near Kimba when she revealed last year she would not back the legislation.

Labor has also refused to back the bill, which means the government does not have the numbers to pass it through the Senate.

Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia.

But Mr Pitt said the government would try to pass the bill this year as the country needed a dedicated radioactive waste storage site.

“The Australian Medical Association has publicly stated that we are out of time and we need to establish the facility now,” he said.

“It has been very disappointing to see Labor backflip on this bill after so many decades of bipartisan support.

“It is also regrettable to see crossbenchers misrepresent the facts to oppose the legislation to grab a political headline.”

The site would create 45 permanent local jobs for Kimba and attract millions of investment dollars, Mr Pitt said.

Labor will vote to block the bill unless the Federal Government scraps the section which names Kimba as location.

One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts and One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson. Picture: Mick Tsikas

The party argues the minister can currently name a site, and locking it into legislation would override the community’s right to seek a judicial review.

The future of JobKeeper is also set to be a political battle, with the COVID-19 lifeline for businesses set to end in March.

Labor and the business, tourism and hospitality sectors are urging the government to continue financial supports for businesses that are still struggling after JobKeeper ends.

Superannuation will also be a political fight, as the government considers whether to go ahead with raising the super guarantee from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent.

Major industrial relations reforms will also go before Parliament this year, along with changes to bank lending rules.

A plan to merge the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court is also set to go before Parliament.

Originally published as Kimba nuclear waste debate set to heat up again