WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
WGAR Website: http://wgar.info/
Contents:
"Muckaty Voices": a film of resistance to nuclear waste dump plan
Senate Report into plan to establish national nuclear waste dump
Other Muckaty Station nuclear waste dump articles
Background to Muckaty Station nuclear waste dump
"MUCKATY VOICES": A FILM OF RESISTANCE TO NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP PLAN:
Beyond Nuclear Initiative's weblog: Muckaty Voices
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/
Also, YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcuNpT84Ovo
9 May 10: ""Muckaty Voices" is a short film capturing community resistance to an Australian government plan to dump radioactive waste at Muckaty Station, 120 kilometres north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. ... Traditional Owner and dump critic Dianne Stokes told a Senate Inquiry in April 2010, "We made the video throughout the Warlmanpa land. It is all of the Milwayi story. We wanted to show this DVD to the public and the people here in this Senate Inquiry because of the place where the proposed dump site area is going to be sited... Along with that, we have some songs and dances to represent the country". The film was produced for the Muckaty Traditional Owners by Enlightning Productions, with the support of the Beyond Nuclear Initiative."
SENATE REPORT INTO PLAN TO ESTABLISH NATIONAL NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP:
- Senate Report
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/legcon_ctte/radioactivewaste/repo...
- Dissenting Report by Australian Greens
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/legcon_ctte/radioactivewaste/repo...
- Update by Nat Wasley, Beyond Nuclear Initiative [http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/]
Indymedia Australia: Muckaty radioactive waste bill to be voted on tomorrow - opposition update 12 May 2010
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/05/12/muckaty-radioactive-waste-bill-to-be-...
12 May 10: "With the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill scheduled to be voted on in the Senate on Thursday (May 13), the campaign against a radioactive waste dump at Muckaty, 120 kms north of Tennant Creek in the NT, is at a very important stage and there are lots of opportunities for people to support Traditional Owners and the Barkly community and make this a national issue and embarrassment for the Rudd Government."
- Media Releases
Beyond Nuclear Initiative's weblog:
Senate report increases determination to fight Muckaty nuclear dump
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/media-releases/
Also, Indymedia Australia: http://indymedia.org.au/2010/05/11/senate-report-increases-determination...
12 May 10: "The Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) says a Senate report on the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill released on May 7 is deplorable and will invigorate efforts to oppose a dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory. ... The Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee report suggests only minor alterations to the waste dump legislation, despite strong criticism by legal experts, the NT Chief Minister, Muckaty Traditional Owners and the Central Land Council."
Greens: Govt’s radioactive whitewash makes a mockery of Senate scrutiny
http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/govt%E2%80%99...
7 May 10: "The Federal Government has used a Labor led Senate committee to whitewash a report into its plan to establish Australia's first ever national radioactive waste dump, the Australian Greens say. "This makes a mockery of the Senate's role to scrutinise important legislation," Australian Greens nuclear spokesperson Scott Ludlam said today. "Labor had to be dragged kicking and screaming to actually hold an inquiry and refused to hold a hearing at Tennant Creek, the major town near the only nominated site, Muckaty Station. Now it's used its Labor majority committee to ignore the overwhelming evidence from over 230 submissions to rubber stamp its plan to impose this controversial waste dump on an unwilling community. We are extremely dismayed the committee chose to snub many sensible and considered Greens suggestions to make the report reflective of the actual evidence heard throughout the inquiry."
- Opinion/Analysis
Brisbane Times: Labor reneges on nuclear waste promise
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/labor-reneges-on-nuclea...
13 May 10: "Before the 2007 election, federal Labor promised a new approach to the management of radioactive waste, characterised by international best practice, full community consultation and consent. It promised to restore transparency, accountability, procedural fairness and legal redress." Dave Sweeney
Australian Conservation Foundation: Senate radioactive dump inquiry deeply flawed
http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=2825
7 May 10: "A Senate report into laws to authorise a controversial planned nuclear waste in the Northern Territory has failed to make any progress towards responsible radioactive waste management in Australia, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today. ... “This proposed legislation remains controversial and contested. Minister Ferguson’s legislation is a bad deal, not a done deal.” [said ACF nuclear free campaigner Dave Sweeney]"
- News
Tennant & District Times: Report paves way for Muckaty dump
http://tennantcreek.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/report-pave...
14 May 10: "A SENATE inquiry report into the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill has strengthened the Federal Government’s resolve to build a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty. The committee, which refused to hold a hearing in Tennant Creek, recommended the Bill should pass. Five minor amendments were recommended."
ABC Alice Springs: Lawyers step in as waste dump gets nod
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/11/2895781.htm?site=alicesprings
11 May 10: "A team of solicitors will travel to Tennant Creek today to prepare their case against the Federal Government's plan to build a nuclear waste dump north of the town. The Darwin based legal team will speak to traditional owners as part of a push to challenge the nomination of the site at Muckaty Station. A Senate committee has endorsed it as a suitable site for the facility."
ABC: Senate inquiry endorses NT nuclear waste dump
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/07/2893652.htm
7 May 10: "A Senate inquiry report has endorsed the Federal Government's plan to site a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory. ... However, the report does recognise that there could still be a legal problem for the Commonwealth. It says the inquiry was not able to establish whether traditional owners had the authority to sign the Muckaty deal, or whether other traditional owners who oppose the dump should be recognised. It says this should be resolved in court."
NT News: Inquiry dumps on NT
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/05/07/145761_ntnews.html
7 May 10: "THE Senate inquiry into laws which could put a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory has recommended the new legislation be passed. But the inquiry's report was immediately criticised as "an unbalanced and closed-minded justification for a foregone conclusion" by one of the committee members."
OTHER MUCKATY STATION NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP ARTICLES:
- News
SMH: Nuclear waste site a target for terrorists, expert warns
http://www.smh.com.au/national/nuclear-waste-site-a-target-for-terrorist...
11 May 10: "A BRITISH nuclear risk expert [John Large] has warned that terrorists could target radioactive waste being transported thousands of kilometres across Australia to a proposed waste dump in the Northern Territory. ... Experts acknowledge a home-made radioactive bomb is the most likely terrorist nuclear threat, he said."
indiaserver.com: Australia's Disposal Of Radioactive Waste Might Attract Terrorist
http://www.india-server.com/news/australias-disposal-of-radioactive-2621...
11 May 10: "A nuclear expert alarmed that terrorists might target the nuclear wastes that gets dumped in the Northern Territory of Australia and can use the waste for making bombs. ... The Senate committee didn’t take into account the risk involved in transporting the waste."
- Videos
ABC Lateline: Germany battles nuclear waste dilemma
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s2895644.htm
11 May 10: "Germany has recently reversed plans to phase out nuclear power by 2020, but is still trying to solve the problem of what to do with nuclear waste."
EngageMedia: From Muckaty to Melbourne
http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/thevagabond/videos/from-muckaty-to-me...
6 May 10: "As Ferguson refused to travel from his office in Preston, Melbounre to Muckaty N.T to talk to the Traditional owners, a few representatives from the Muckaty community decided to pay him a visit."
YouTube: Nuclear Waste Dump - Muckaty Update
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maoGI15YAeU
1 May 10: "Protesters gathered outside Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson's office in Melbourne, Australia."
- Statements by Muckaty TOs
No-Waste: Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Dump - Proposed site profile: Muckaty Station
http://no-waste.org/dox/res/muckaty%20profile.pdf
"Top to bottom we got bush tucker right through the country. 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, Muckaty Traditional Owner
- Photos
flickr: No Nuclear Waste Dump
http://www.flickr.com/photos/takver/sets/72157623837611109/
30 Apr 10: "Community opposition to Martin Ferguson's nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station continues to grow. About 40 people covened at short notice outside Martin Ferguson's electoral office on High Street Preston in a colourful protest of speeches, song and street theatre on 30 April 2010."
BACKGROUND TO MUCKATY STATION NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP:
Beyond Nuclear Initiative’s weblog:
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/audio/
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...
WGAR News: … Update: Muckaty Station Nuclear Waste Dump (23 Apr 10)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2010/04/22/wgar-news-raw-sewage-dumped-in-ampila...
WGAR News: Update on Muckaty Station Nuclear Waste Dump (2 May 10)
http://wgar.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/02052010-update-on-muckaty-station-...
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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)