WGAR News: Raw sewage dumped in Ampilatwatja - Aboriginal worker dismissed (23 Apr 10)

Submitted by WGAR - Working ... on Fri, 23/04/2010 - 8:39am

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

Contents:
Raw Sewage dumped in Ampilatwatja - Aboriginal worker dismissed
Public Forum: A National call out launched by John Pilger & Richard Downs
Update: Muckaty Station Nuclear Waste Dump
Other NT Intervention Articles
Other Aboriginal Articles

RAW SEWERAGE DUMPED IN AMPILATWATJA - ABORIGINAL WORKER DISMISSED:

- Background

Melbourne Indymedia: WGAR News: ... Raw sewage dumped in NT ‘prescribed community’ (18 Apr 10)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2010/04/17/wgar-news-ampilatwatja-walk-off-film-...

- Media Release

Rollback the Intervention: Media Releases
http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/media/
18 Apr 10: "Mark Fordham, an Aboriginal man employed until 12th April by the Barkly Shire, has been summarily dismissed after refusing to cart raw sewage and dump it on the Ampilatwatja tip. Contractors were subsequently hired by the Shire to do this work, one of them subsequently becoming ill. On the pretext of him not fulfilling his contractual obligations, Mr Fordham was denied leave and, after speaking out about the health risks in handling and dumping of the raw sewage, he was dismissed and told to vacate his house, along with his 2 young sons, with only 2 hours’ notice. The Barkly Shire has told him he needs to seek their permission before he accesses any of their shire communities in the future."

- Report Back

Overland: A slippery reality
http://web.overland.org.au/2010/04/21/a-slippery-reality/
21 Apr 10: "We drove out with a video camera to film events taking place the following day. One was a meeting that was happening in the community, the other was evidence that the Barkly Shire Council had dumped 3000 litres of raw sewage in the tip. Sewerage that was still, almost a week later, sitting there exposed to the sun and the rain. Sitting there for the dogs to play and roll around in. Sitting there for people to get sick, ... " Scott Foyster

- Video

ABC Alice Springs: Council worker arrest 'linked to sewage disposal'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/04/20/2877166.htm?site=alicesprings
20 Apr 10: "A man from Ampilatwatja, north-east of Alice Springs, has been charged with making death threats to a fellow employee but friends say his arrest is linked with raising concerns over sewage disposal."

PUBLIC FORUM: A NATIONAL CALL OUT LAUNCHED BY JOHN PILGER & RICHARD DOWNS:

Stop the Intervention:
[scroll down page] http://stoptheintervention.org/
"Friday 23 April, 2010, 6 pm:
Public Forum: The NT Intervention is a fraud
- A National call out launched by
journalist John Pilger, Sydney Peace Prize Winner 2009 and
Richard Downs, spokesperson for the Alyawarr walk-off, Ampilatwatja NT
with Prof. Larissa Behrendt, NAIDOC Indigenous Person of the Year 2009 and
Paul McAleer, Branch Secretary Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney Branch.
Federation Conference Centre Auditorium, 37 Reservoir St, Surry Hills.
All welcome.
Organised by Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney (STICS)."
[includes link to poster]

UPDATE: MUCKATY STATION NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP:

- Background

Beyond Nuclear Initiative’s weblog:
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/audio/
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/video/

WGAR News: Nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory (2 Mar 10)
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/03/02/wgar-news-nuclear-waste-dump-in-the-n...

WGAR News: Muckaty Station Nuclear Waste Dump (20 Mar 10)
http://groups.google.com.au/group/foblmail/browse_thread/thread/ddc393bb...

WGAR News: Nuclear Waste Dump ... (28 Mar 10)
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/03/28/wgar-news-nuclear-waste-dump-close-th...

WGAR News: Muckaty Radioactive Waste Dump ... (4 Apr 10)
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/04/03/wgar-news-muckaty-radioactive-waste-d...

WGAR News: National day of action against Muckaty nuclear waste dump: 12th April!
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/04/10/wgar-news-national-day-of-action-agai...

WGAR News: Nuclear Waste Dump: Senate inquiry in Darwin; Nationwide protests (17 Apr 10)
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/04/16/wgar-news-nuclear-waste-dump-senate-i...

- News

ABC: Nuclear dump opponents campaign in Melbourne
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/22/2879974.htm
21 Apr 10: "Some traditional owners from Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory were in Melbourne last night to campaign against a proposed nuclear waste dump being built on their land. Dave Sweeney from the Australia Conservation Foundation says a public meeting was held in the electorate of the federal Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson."

ABC: Brown questions nuclear dump rationale
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/21/2879186.htm
21 Apr 10: "The Greens Senator Bob Brown says a proposed nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station is not necessary. Mr Brown was commenting after completing a trip to Central Australia. He says the disposal of nuclear medical waste is the responsibility of the cities concerned."

Green Left: Nuke dump protesters target PM’s office
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2010/834/42915
18 Apr 10: "BRISBANE - “We don’t need nuclear power”, Sam Watson, Aboriginal community leader and Socialist Alliance Senate candidate, told a picket against the proposed nuclear waste dump at Muckaty in the Northern Territory, held outside PM Kevin Rudd’s electorate office in Norman Park on April 12."

NT News: Gray backs Muckaty as location for nuke dump
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/04/16/140271_ntnews.html
16 Apr 10: "THE federal parliamentary secretary for northern Australia said he supports the move to bring a nuclear waste facility to the Territory despite concern over the process of the selection of a site. Gary Gray said he supported the proposed site at Muckaty because be believed the process with traditional owners had been fair."

National Indigenous Times:
Nuke waste dump could face legal challenge: Newhouse
http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=19694
15 Apr 10: "Traditional owners of land which has been nominated for a proposed nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory are considering legal action to stop the project going ahead. ... The land was nominated by the Ngapa traditional owners, one of a handful of family groups who are custodians of the land. But other traditional owners weren't consulted, according to Sydney-based human rights lawyer George Newhouse."

- Opinion/Analysis

Socialist Party (Australia):
NT: Nuclear waste facility to be dumped on locals
http://www.socialistpartyaustralia.org/archives/2504
21 Apr 10: "Federal ALP Resources Minister Martin Ferguson recently announced he intends to pursue plans for a national radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory (NT), despite opposition from many traditional owners. The Liberals and National opposition have decided to support government legislation to do this. ... The Socialist Party is opposed to nuclear power as it is an expensive and dangerous alternative to fossil fuels."

OTHER NT INTERVENTION ARTICLES:

- Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Northern Territory National Emergency Response
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory_intervention

Intervention walk-off's Blog:
http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/

IRAG (Intervention Rollback Action Group):
http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/

STICS (Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney):
http://stoptheintervention.org/

- Radio

ABC Radio National - Late Night Live:
'A Secret Country' 20 Years On
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2010/2879288.htm
21 Apr 10: "'A Secret Country', John Pilger's 'countering' history of Australia has been in continuous print since it was first published 20 years ago. He talks about what has and hasn't changed about Australia since then."
[includes lengthy comments by John Pilger on the NT Intervention]

- Film Review

Green Left: New film about Ampilatwatja protest house
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2010/834/42932
18 Apr 10: "In February, about 20 people from Victoria and NSW (and three from Germany), spent two weeks constructing a protest house with the people of Ampilatwatja. Actively Radical TV, a Sydney community-based video group, went to document the building of the protest house. ... This film tells the story of the building of the protest house. It features interviews with unionists and activists that worked together on the project."

- News

Northern Territory News:
Angry Macklin investigates SIHIP gouging accusations
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/04/21/141481_ntnews.html
21 Apr 10: "INDIGENOUS Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin has put on notice one of the major business partners charged with building Aborigines new and renovated homes in the Northern Territory and vowed to dump any elements of the indigenous housing program that are fai"

National Indigenous Times:
Former NT Chief slams income management scheme
http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=19695
15 Apr 10: "A peak welfare group has slammed the federal government's attempt to roll out a controversial aspect of the Northern Territory intervention to the rest of the nation. ... Chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service Clare Martin, also the former chief minister of the NT, said that was a heavy-handed, unfair approach."