WGAR News: Muckaty no Solution for Sydney's Radioactive Waste: Australian Greens

Newsletter date: 9 March 2014

Contents:

* Jon Altman, Tracker: Evidently: Mining is not forever

* Australian Greens: Muckaty no Solution for Sydney's Radioactive Waste
* Background to the proposed Muckaty nuclear waste dump in Northern Territory

* Emma Lancaster, The Wire: Gomeroi people call on Environment Minister to stop destruction of sacred sites [Featuring Dolly Talbott - Gomeroi elder and spokesperson]

* The Wilderness Society: Farmers and community stand strong to protect the Pilliga from coal seam gas
* Ellen Leabeater, The Wire: Coal seam gas not the hover board of energy

* Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Fracking will further industrialise the Kimberley - Greens

* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Senior Law Boss, Walmadany campaigner Mr Roe has passed away
* Murray Silby, SBS World News Radio: Death of Indigenous environmental campaigner
* Background to the Walmadan Tent Embassy, James Price Point, north of Broome, Kimberley Region, WA

* JON ALTMAN, TRACKER: EVIDENTLY: MINING IS NOT FOREVER

- Analysis / Opinion

agendaTracker: Evidently: Mining is not forever
http://tracker.org.au/2014/03/evidently-mining-is-not-forever/
3 Mar 14: "NATIONAL: Rio Tinto announced the closure of its Gove refinery to a media outcry. But PROF JON ALTMAN* argues the benefits were never weighted in favour of Traditional Owners." By Jon Altman, a professor in economics/anthropology at The Australian National University in Canberra. Jon has worked on Indigenous economic development issues since 1976

* AUSTRALIAN GREENS: MUCKATY NO SOLUTION FOR SYDNEY'S RADIOACTIVE WASTE

- Media Release

Australian Greens: Muckaty no Solution for Sydney's Radioactive Waste
Greens NSW Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC: http://www.mehreenfaruqi.org.au/muckaty-no-solution-for-sydneys-radioact...
Australian Greens: http://www.greens.org.au/node/3828
NSW Greens: http://nsw.greens.org.au/content/muckaty-no-solution-sydney%E2%80%99s-ra...
5 Mar 14: "Greens NSW Spokesperson for Environment, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, has stated that Muckaty is no solution to radioactive waste problems for Sydney, in response to reports that the State Government is planning to send nuclear waste from Hunters Hill to Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory.
"Neither Muckaty in the Northern Territory nor Western Sydney should be the dumping grounds of nuclear waste.
"I note the great campaign the Greens Federal Senators like Senator Scott Ludlam have been running against the proposed Muckaty nuclear waste facility that seeks to turn Australia into a nuclear waste dumping ground.
"The Muckaty plan is opposed by the Aboriginal traditional owners of the land and there are serious concerns about its ecological impact - the New South Wales Government should not be dumping its problems half way across the country. ... ""

* BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED MUCKATY NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP IN NORTHERN TERRITORY:

Last updated: 27 January 2014

http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-proposed-muckaty-nu...

* EMMA LANCASTER, THE WIRE: GOMEROI PEOPLE CALL ON ENVIRONMENT MINISTER TO STOP DESTRUCTION OF SACRED SITES [FEATURING DOLLY TALBOTT - GOMEROI ELDER AND SPOKESPERSON]

- Audio interview

The Wire: Gomeroi people call on Environment Minister to stop destruction of sacred sites
Produced by Emma Lancaster
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11293
4 Mar 14: "The Gomeroi people today met with Environment Minister Greg Hunt. They are calling on the Federal government to stop Whitehaven Coal from bull dozing sacred Aboriginal sites in the Boggabri region of New South Wales. The elders are seeking to secure the protection for the sacred sites under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act. Emma Lancaster spoke with Dolly Talbott a Gomeroi elder and spokesperson, before the meeting in Canberra today. UPDATE: Dolly Talbott informed the WIRE after we went to air that Minister Hunt did not make any commitments about the future outcomes of the Maules Creek project or the Aboriginal sacred sites. ...
Featured in story:
Dolly Talbott - Gomeroi elder and spokesperson"

* THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY: FARMERS AND COMMUNITY STAND STRONG TO PROTECT THE PILLAGA FROM COAL SEAM GAS

- Analysis / Opinion

The Wilderness Society: Farmers and community stand strong to protect the Pilliga from coal seam gas
https://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/farmers-and-community-stand-stron...
21 Feb 14: "Hundreds of local community members have come together to protest coal seam gas development in New South Wale's Pilliga Forest. This project - the Narrabri Gasfield - would have a devastating effect on the land, water quality, and wildlife of NSW. The proponents of this project - mining company Santos - are pushing ahead with this development despite the many risks it poses. ... These protesters represent generations of landholders and Traditional Owners, and their message to Santos is that the Narrabri Gasfield project will not take place."

* ELLEN LEABEATER, THE WIRE: COAL SEAM GAS NOT THE HOVER BOARD OF ENERGY

- Audio Interview

The Wire: Coal seam gas not the hover board of energy
Produced by Ellen Leabeater
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11268
25 Feb 14: "It’s been more than a decade since coal seam gas became a major industry for Australia, and MPs and industry CEOs met in Sydney today to discuss the future of CSG in Australia. The conference was met by protesters against coal seam gas expansion in NSW, who are continuing the fight against CSG expansion. With the industry expanding into new areas of the country, tensions between traditional owners, farmers and the industry are continuing unabated.
Featured in story:
* Brad- Occupy AGL
* Melinda Wilson- CSG Free Western Sydney.
* Drew Hutton- President of Lock the Gate"

* GREENS SENATOR RACHEL SIEWERT: FRACKING WILL FURTHER INDUSTRIALISE THE KIMBERLEY - GREENS

- Media Release

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Fracking will further industrialise the Kimberley - Greens
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/fracking-w...
30 Dec 13: "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues / Agriculture & Rural Affairs
The Australian Greens said today that shale gas fracking would further industrialise the Kimberley, despite serious and ongoing community and environmental concerns.
"Industry and the WA Government are strongly pushing fracking, despite the risks it presents," Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
"Shale gas fracking and drilling is the latest onslaught to agricultural and regional communities, causing land disturbance and a significant threat of contamination and disruption of groundwater systems.
"The Greens oppose shale gas fracking in the Kimberley given its potential to harm the environment, water sources, community and cultural values of the region.
"Once again, the WA Government's actions suggest they're willing to ignore the science, environmental impacts and wishes of the community when it comes to making decisions about resource development in the Kimberley. ... ""

* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: SENIOR LAW BOSS, WALMADANY CAMPAIGNER MR ROE HAS PASSED AWAY

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Senior Law Boss, Walmadany campaigner Mr Roe has passed away
http://thestringer.com.au/senior-law-boss-walmadany-campaigner-mr-roe-ha...
27 Feb 14: "The formidable Walmadany (James Price Point) campaigner, Senior Law Boss, Mr Roe has died. Mr Roe leaves behind his partner, his two children, his mother, a matriarch of her people, Teresa Roe and his brother and fellow Walmadany campaigner Senior Law Boss Phillip Roe. The 47-year-old Goolaroobooloo legend died in Perth’s Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital after being transferred a couple of weeks ago from Broome Hospital following a cardiac arrest." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

* MURRAY SILBY, SBS WORLD NEWS RADIO: DEATH OF INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGNER

- Audio

SBS World News Radio: Death of Indigenous environmental campaigner
By Murray Silby
http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/320694/Death-o...
28 Feb 14: "Tributes have been paid to a key Indigenous figure in one of Western Australia's fiercest environmental battles. Mr J. Roe, who was one of the leaders of Indigenous opposition to a proposed LNG processing plant at James Price Point in the state's north-west, has passed away in Perth. Mr Roe strongly opposed the proposal due to the cultural damage it would cause for his people in the region. Woodside has since abandoned the option, saying it's too expensive. The Australian Greens also opposed the project and Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has told Murray Silby that Mr Roe played a vital role in the campaign."

* BACKGROUND TO THE WALMADAN TENT EMBASSY, JAMES PRICE POINT, NORTH OF BROOME, KIMBERLEY REGION, WA

Last updated: 1 March 2014

http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/02/walmadan-tent-embassy-james-price-poi...

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