Global Climate Change Action

National Speaking Tour
Adelaide - Melbourne - Canberra - Sydney
speakers - art - photos - films

Melbourne Public Meeting
June 18, 6pm, New Council Chambers
Trades Hall Carlton
(Poster attached)

Despite giving an "absolute categorical assurance" prior to the last election that the NT would not be targeted for a Federal radioactive waste dump, in June 2005 the Federal Government announced that three Department of Defence sites in the NT would be assessed for suitability.

Brendan Nelson, as Federal Science Minister, queried "why on earth can't people in the middle of nowhere have [radioactive] waste?" ; Current Science Minister Julie Bishop remarked "all the sites in the NT are well away from houses... some distance from any form of civilisation."

Protecting Community, Country and Culture

Remote areas are not uninhabited and lifeless places. Traditional Owners and community members from the proposed dump sites are travelling across the country to express their concerns of how a radioactive dump would irreversibly damage country and culture.

Mt Everard - 40kms NW of Alice Springs.

3 km from the proposed dump site Werre Therre community runs several business enterprises, including mustering wild horses and conducting cultural education on country for school children. Arrente Traditional Owners Audrey McCormack and Benedict Stevens will travel on this Speaking Tour.

"I'd like to keep the place clean for my children, my grandchildren and further generations... we go out hunting there, we go for our bush tuckers" - Audrey McCormack

Harts Range - 165kms NE of Alice Springs. Engawala community and Aboriginal owned Alcoota cattle station are only 18kms north of the proposed site. Arrente women Mitch and Priscilla Williams are speaking out.

If this nuclear waste is so safe, why can't they keep it at the Lucas Heights nuclear plant in Sydney, where it is produced and where the nuclear experts work? We stand strong in our own culture as Indigenous people, and want the land and water to be protected for all children, black and white. We have enough issues of our own to deal with without having to deal with the nuclear waste" - Mitch

Muckaty Station - 120 kms north of Tennant Creek. Though not one of the sites currently undergoing assessment, there has been much speculation about Muckaty being offered as an alternative. The Northern Land Council, in conjunction with the Federal Government, has been encouraging Traditional Owners to nominate their land as a site for the waste dump. Warlmanpa woman Dianne Stokes will be sharing her stories with you.

"Whoever is taking this waste dump into our country needs to come back and talk to the Traditional Owners. We're not happy to have all of this stuff. We don't want it, it's not our spirit. Our spirit is our country, our country where our ancestors been born. Before towns, before hospitals, before cities. We want our country to be safe" - Dianne Stokes

For more information contact: Arid Land Environment Centre - Beyond Nuclear Initiative

08 8952 2011 natwasley @ alec.org.au
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From: Hillel Freedman
To: "Undisclosed-Recipient:;"
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 4:39 PM
Subject: Traditional Owners Speak Out No Radioactive waste dump in NT

Hello

Posters and leafltes for this are now available.
Please let me know if u can help.
Distribution is needed everywhere

Hillel
0417 506 150