Coober Pedy says no to nuclear dump
By Lyn Hovey
The people of Coober Pedy, in outback South Australia, are organising to oppose the National Radioactive Waste Repository (i.e. dump) proposed for Billa Kalina.
A public meeting was organised in late September by the Coober Pedy Against Waste Repository group to highlight concerns and raise further public awareness about the enormity of the issues.
Rebecca Bear-Wingfield spoke on behalf of the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta Aboriginal Corporation, and welcomed invited guests from Friends of the Earth, the Arid Lands Environment Centre, the Conservation Council of South Australia and fellow residents.
Scientists remote from the area used a computer program to select an isolated, dry and geologically stable site for the dump and came up with Billa Kalina. Don Stolzes from the Arid Lands Environment Centre in Alice Springs told the meeting, "Too often remote areas are automatically considered the natural sites for any toxic or life-threatening activity which arguably should not be happening at all, anywhere".
Speakers highlighted the fact that desert regions rely on the integrity of underground water. Extreme temperatures, high winds and flash floods make safe containment of waste, which remains toxic for thousands of years, an impossible proposition.
It is safer to keep the waste where it is produced because expertise to manage it is already on site.
Dr Dennis Matthews from the Conservation Council of South Australia explained that most radioactive waste would be transported from the Lucas Heights reactor and other sites in NSW and Victoria. Concern was expressed that the dump could be run by a private company that may import international waste.
A second meeting held at Umoona community on September 30 generated vigorous and concerned discussion among Aboriginal community members.
Some participants spoke about the suffering that resulted from the British nuclear tests at Maralinga and Emu Field. Many lost family members and continue to experience ill health.
Community members dispelled claims that the area south of Coober Pedy has no cultural significance and is "empty".
David Crombie, a spokesperson for the meeting, said that even though consultation has taken place, the government is not listening to what Aboriginal people are saying.
Ian Crombie, chairperson of the Antikirinya Land Management Corporation, said that he was concerned that waste leaking from the dump will get into the water table and the food chain.
June Lennon, an Aboriginal activist, declared, "They want us to accept blood money to poison our future generations".
One of the most important things to come out of the Umoona meeting was the development of an educational package for local schools, so that everybody can understand the implications and dangers of the proposed dump.
Both meetings expressed dissatisfaction with Coober Pedy Council's response to residents' concerns.
After the meetings, Rebecca Bear-Wingfield described the consultation phase as a farce aimed at justifying a decision already made by the federal government. The community has no alternative but to launch a campaign against the dump, she said.