The federal government’s controversial plan to dump and store radioactive waste near Kimba, on the Eyre Peninsula, is the focus of new protest posters across the central business district.
The posters, an initiative of the Don’t Dump on SA (DDSA) network, are part of a campaign to push the South Australian Premier Steven Marshall to support the law, community and environment by opposing the federal government’s dump plan ahead of the March 19 South Australian election.
Liberal MPs in the Legislative Council on February 10 refused to support Green and Labor MPs and vote against the federal waste plan.
DDSA member Dr Jim Green said on February 17 that there had been “bipartisan opposition to federal government plans to make SA the nation’s radioactive waste zone” for more than two decades.
“Last week the Premier walked away from this protection and the commitment that he made ahead of the last state election that he had ‘a much greater ambition for our state’ than to be a nuclear waste dump.”
Green said it was “positive” that the Labor Party reaffirmed its opposition to the proposed nuclear dump. “MLC Kyam Maher highlighted Labor’s policy that Traditional Owners should have a right of veto over nuclear projects,” he said.
The federal waste dump plan at Kimba faces growing scrutiny following recent extensive flooding in the region and a Federal Court challenge initiated by the Barngarla Traditional Owners.
“Barngarla people have been actively excluded from the area’s community ballot and the wider community has not had a say,” DDSA representative Sister Michele Madigan said.
“The federal waste plan poses a very serious and long-lasting risk to people and the environment and demands the highest level of transparency and rigour. So far, it has been a political football played with moving goalposts. It is time Premier Marshall blew the whistle and demanded an end to this move.”
The posters have been placed in more than sites around Adelaide and are a part a the broader community outreach.