Newsletter date: 15 August 2012
Contents:
* BNI: Waste dump tender is 'putting the radioactive cart before the horse'.
* Greens Scott Ludlam: This land is not nowhere; these people are not no-one
* NT Greens: Greens call for a unity in face of nuclear waste tender
* ABC Video: Push to make nuclear waste dump an election issue
* Upcoming Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) Events
* Background to the proposed Muckaty nuclear waste dump
* BNI: WASTE DUMP TENDER IS 'PUTTING THE RADIOACTIVE CART BEFORE THE HORSE'.
- Media Release
Beyond Nuclear Initiative: Waste dump tender is 'putting the radioactive cart before the horse'.
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.com/2012/08/09/waste-dump-tender-is-putti...
7 Aug 12: "Calling for tender to design a remote radioactive waste facility while the only proposed site is under federal court challenge is putting the radioactive cart before the horse, the Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) has said today.
BNI coordinator Natalie Wasley said "The only site federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has indicated he intends to pursue for a national radioactive waste dump- Muckaty, 120km north of Tennant Creek in the NT- is subject to a federal court challenge and ongoing community challenge. The NT government is strongly opposed and trade unions, environment and health groups across the country have committed to stand up and stop the Muckaty proposal".
"The Minister is making radioactive policy on the run, based on a political assumption that a remote site is needed and a miscalculation that people living nearby or culturally connected to those areas do not have the determination or capacity to defeat this proposal," Ms Wasley added. ... "
- Related News
Tennant & District Times: Tenders called for nuke waste dump at Muckaty
http://tennantcreek.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/tenders-cal...
10 Aug 12: "THE Federal Government has called for tenders to design a radioactive waste dump. And while Muckaty is not mentioned in documents, the site is the only one under consideration. ... Beyond Nuclear Initiative coordinator, Nat Wasley, said, in calling design tenders, the Government is putting the radioactive cart before the horse. "Muckaty is subject to a Federal Court challenge and an ongoing community challenge," she said. "The NT Government is strongly opposed and trade unions, environment and health groups across the country have committed to stand up and stop the proposal.""
* GREENS SCOTT LUDLAM: THIS LAND IS NOT NOWHERE; THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT NO-ONE
- Analysis / Opinion
Right Now: This land is not nowhere; these people are not no-one
http://rightnow.org.au/writing-cat/article/this-land-is-not-nowhere-thes...
13 Aug 12: "The government is attempting to force a nuclear waste facility on to Muckaty Station, a cattle station 120 kilometres from Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, in direct violation of the commitments the ALP made in the run-up to the 2007 election. The proposal is strongly contested and the subject of a Federal Court challenge in which Traditional Owners argue they were not consulted by the Northern Land Council. They also argue that the proposed site is not one the Commonwealth can negotiate with one group of Owners given that at least five groups have interconnected and interwoven responsibility there. Matters do not reach the Federal Court on a whim; ... " By Scott Ludlam, a peace and environmental activist for more than a decade, Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia
* NT GREENS: GREENS CALL FOR A UNITY IN FACE OF NUCLEAR WASTE TENDER
- Media Release
NT Greens: Greens call for a unity in face of nuclear waste tender
http://nt.greens.org.au/content/greens-call-unity-face-nuclear-waste-tender
10 Aug 12: "In the wake of a Federal Government tender[1]to report on the design and operation of a nuclear waste dump, the NT Greens have called for all Territory politicians to reaffirm their opposition to plans to impose a nuclear waste dump in the NT.
Matt Haubrick, the Greens candidate for Fong Lim, says the announcement is "unexpected - but entirely consistent with the approach of successive Federal governments."
"While high court proceedings by Traditional Owners of the Muckaty Land Trust challenging the nomination process remain unresolved, this pre-emptive tender is entirely inappropriate."
"The Federal Minister has well and truly put the cart before the horse. Clearly he is yet to realise that it’s a dead horse."
"The initial plan had been to have the dump built and operating by now - but instead, the fight is stronger than ever." ... "
* ABC VIDEO: PUSH TO MAKE NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP AN ELECTION ISSUE
- Video
ABC: Push to make nuclear waste dump an election issue
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-11/push-to-make-nuclear-waste-dump-an...
11 Aug 12: "A protest group is pushing to make the proposal for a nuclear waste facility at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory an election issue."
* UPCOMING BEYOND NUCLEAR INITIATIVE (BNI) EVENTS:
- Events
Fri 10 - Sun 26 August 2012: Darwin, NT
Official Opening Fri 10 Aug
Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud
Photographer Jagath Dheerasekara, human rights defender
This traveling exhibition is a collaborative project with
* the Manuwangku (Muckaty) Traditional Owners,
* the Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) and
* Amnesty International.
Presented by the Environment Centre NT
in association with Darwin Festival
"It is a testimony to the resilience of the community
and captures the determination of people bound
together through a common struggle to keep their
traditional land free from nuclear waste.
Muckaty, called by its Traditional Owners as Manuwangku,
situated 120 km North from Tennant Creek is a
country in the Northern Territory targeted for the
building of a federal radioactive waste storage facility."
Event details: http://www.darwinfestival.org.au/2012-program/manuwangku-under-the-nucle...
Event details: http://www.amnesty.org.au/sa/event/29216/
Event details: http://www.greenleft.org.au/events/51721
Event: Thu 16 August 2012: Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW
Public meeting: Nuclear South Wales?
Resisting O’Farrell’s uranium push
Speakers:
* Luke Foley MLC, NSW Shadow Minister for the Environment
* Jamie Parker MP, NSW Greens uranium spokesperson
* Arthur Rorris, South Coast Labour Council secretary
* Peter Watts, Arabunna Man from South Australia
Chaired by: Rita Mallia, NSW President,
CFMEU Construction and General Division
Welcome to Country: Auntie Millie Ingram
Event details: http://beyondnuclearinitiative.com/events/2012-2/
Event: Sat 25 August 2012: Ultimo, UTS, Sydney, NSW
Workshop and Discussion Day
Discussion topics and speakers include:
* Historical snapshot:
The Movement Against Uranium Mining (MAUM) in the 70s/80s
and lessons for organising today.
Dr Geoff Evans, Newcastle University, MAUM organiser
* Industry snapshot: NSW, Australia and worldwide.
Climate Change and the "nuclear renaissance".
Dr Jim Green, Friends of the Earth Australia.
* Health effects of the nuclear industry on workers and community.
Dr Helen Caldicott, Physician and author.
* Building a nuclear free NSW campaign.
Paul McAleer, Maritime Union of Australia.
Event details: http://beyondnuclearinitiative.com/events/2012-2/
* BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED MUCKATY NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP:
Last updated: 20 July 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-proposed-muckaty-nu...
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