ONE of the major issues facing the Northern Territory is a proposed nuclear waste management facility – a proposal put forward by John Howard’s Liberal Government.
It directly affects the Barkly Region.
I have participated in this political debate at Federal, State and Territory levels, and have spoken to many constituents on this matter. I campaigned in the 2008 NT election against a proposed nuclear waste facility being operated in the Barkly.
My position on the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act is that it should be repealed in the Federal Parliament, and that Australian Labor Party national policy in the area of nuclear waste management should reflect research based on scientific principals, appropriate land use protocols, suitable transport infrastructure and a socio-geographic area that has a pre-existing nuclear exposure legacy such as South Australia.
I believe that the Federal Labor Government has a new opportunity for a successful resolution for the placement of the proposed nuclear waste facility in the central desert zone of southern South Australia.
Such negotiations should frame a national perspective in terms of security and environmental protection with appropriate Federal regional support in terms of all South Australian stakeholders benefiting from a project of such significance.
As an Australian, I know we must develop the technology and capacity to manage and store nuclear waste.
It is my responsibility as an MLA, in addition to our collective responsibility as a society, to do this properly for our children and grandchildren!
However the Northern Territory is not the place and northern Australia is not the place. On the contrary, Northern Australia’s development must be as the primary production bread basket of the future, with land use focusing on our commodity markets, food production and eco corridors that preserve the traditional Indigenous dreaming tracks.
On Saturday I attended a rally at Morphett Creek to show my support for both my personal and political beliefs in opposition to a proposed nuclear waste facility located in the Barkly and in the Northern Territory.
As the proud MLA for Barkly I discussed the issue with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous constituents attending the rally on the banks of the creek, and listened to the opinions of both ‘black and white’ and ‘young and old’.
Each person articulated their very real concerns about nuclear waste management and the proposal for the Barkly.
As Aussies we stood and talked and gave a commitment to remaining united in opposition to this proposal for the Barkly.
Within the Indigenous group we talked about the need to lobby the Indigenous elders and community about the importance of this issue and the need for better scientific debate in development of this policy area for all Australians.
In closing we must ask, why did a Federal Government frame such a strategy for the Northern Territory? In short, my opinion is that they did it because they could!
And that leads us to another important political debate: Statehood.
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