WGAR News: Federal Court legal challenge over nuclear waste dump (13 Jun 10)

Submitted by WGAR - Working ... on Sun, 13/06/2010 - 10:42am

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

Contents:
Federal Court legal challenge over nuclear waste dump
Other Nuclear articles
Background to Muckaty Station nuclear waste dump

FEDERAL COURT LEGAL CHALLENGE OVER NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP:

- Media Releases and Announcements

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers:
Indigenous owners launch Federal legal challenge over Australia’s first nuclear waste dump
http://www.mauriceblackburn.com.au/news/press-releases--announcements/in...
3 Jun 10: "The Commonwealth Government and the Northern Land Council (NLC) will face a Federal Court legal challenge over plans for a radioactive waste dump on Indigenous land at Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. Mark Lane Jangala, a senior Ngapa traditional owner for Muckaty Station claims he and many other senior elders never gave consent and were not consulted over the nomination of their land for Australia's first radioactive waste dump. ... "

Beyond Nuclear Initiative:
International support for Muckaty campaign
http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/international-su...
7 Jun 10: " ... The campaign against federal Resource Minister Martin Ferguson’s move to dump radioactive waste at Muckaty near Tennant Creek will feature prominently at a major nuclear conference in the US this weekend with Australian activists set to take the story from central Australia to America’s third biggest city. Their presentation will involve a detailed briefing, an update on the newly launched federal court challenge and a plenary screening of Muckaty Voices, the recently released story of Traditional Owner opposition to the dump plan. ... "

Greens MPs: Greens back Traditional Owners legal action against nuclear waste dump
http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/greens-back-traditional-ow...
3 Jun 10: "The Federal Government has itself to blame for a legal challenge by Traditional Owners against its plan to impose a radioactive waste dump on the people of the Northern Territory, the Australian Greens say. "The Rudd Government faces a protracted legal challenge where it could easily have chosen a path of consultation and consent." said Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, spokesperson on nuclear issues."

Beyond Nuclear Initiative:
Legal action against Muckaty waste dump reveals Labor government failure.
[scroll down page] http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com/media-releases/
2 Jun 10: "A federal court challenge has been lodged today against the planned radioactive waste dump at Muckaty Station, on Warlmanpa land in the Northern Territory. Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) spokesperson Natalie Wasley says the action is an unfortunate but necessary next step for the community opposing the dump and indicates the ALP has failed to implement key promises on radioactive waste management."

- News

Tennant & District Times:
Muckaty nuke dump fight heads to Federal Court
http://tennantcreek.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/muckaty-nuk...
11 Jun 10: "A LEGAL challenge to the Federal Government’s plan to establish a national nuclear waste dump at Muckatyø has been taken to the Federal Court. A team of lawyers from across the country launched the action yesterday to challenge the nomination of the land at Muckaty Station. ... "

SMH: Aboriginal group challenges planned nuclear dump in court
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/aboriginal-group-challenges-planned-nu...
4 Jun 10: "ABORIGINAL traditional owners have initiated a Federal Court legal challenge to plans by the federal government to build Australia's first national radioactive waste dump near Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory. Mark Lane Jangala, a senior elder of the Ngapa clan, says he and many other senior elders were not consulted about the nomination of their land. ... "

The New Lawyer:
Maurice Blackburn, Julian Burnside, charged with waste dump action
http://www.thenewlawyer.com.au/article/maurice-blackburn-julian-burnside...
3 Jun 10: "THE Commonwealth Government and the Northern Land Council will face a Federal Court legal challenge over plans for a radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory. Maurice Blackburn Lawyers is working with NSW law firm Surry Partners, and Julian Burnside QC, to commence proceedings challenging the nomination of the Indigenous land, at Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek. ... "

SMH: Waste dump fight goes to court
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/waste-dump-fight-goes-to-c...
3 Jun 10: "Aboriginal traditional owners opposed to a planned radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory have taken their fight to the federal court. Labor made an election promise to repeal the previous coalition government's legislation to set up the dump, pledging to replace it with a more transparent and accountable process. ... "

ABC: NT nuclear waste dump faces legal challenge
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/03/2917241.htm
3 Jun 10: " ... The Commonwealth has signed a deal with some traditional owners for land at Muckaty Station, north of Tennant Creek, to be used for the dump. George Newhouse is part of the legal team for a different group of traditional owners who say they were not consulted on the site's nomination. Mr Newhouse says his clients do not want compensation but for the nomination of the site to be withdrawn. ... "

National Indigenous Radio Service:
Muckaty nuclear waste dump to be challenged
http://www.nirs.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3815...
3 Jun 10: "... Mr Newhouse says his clients do not want compensation but for the nomination of the site to be withdrawn. "This isn't about compensation at all," he said. "This is about the fact that the Northern Land Council has nominated traditional Aboriginal land for a nuclear waste dump without the consent of the traditional owners." ... "

NT News: Legal challenge to nuke dump launched
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/03/153001_ntnews.html
3 Jun 10: "In a statement released following the launching of legal action, Mr Lane Jangala said he has been campaigning against the use of the site because of its cultural significance. "I am senior Ngapa man for Muckaty and I did not agree to the nomination of the site, along with other senior Ngapa elders for Muckaty Station who did not agree," he said. "We don't want it.""

- Opinion/Analysis:

Songlines: Let’s end the Nuclear Nightmare at Muckaty, NT.
by Bruce Reyburn in Tennant Creek/Nyinkka Nyunyu town
http://songlines.org.au/2010/06/03/nuclear-nightmare-at-muckaty-nt/
Mabo Day 3 June 2010: " ... The Federal Government now needs to respect this decision by the Aboriginal Land Commissioner and, as a first step, deal with the traditional owners of Muckaty via the single land trust. If not, the impending Federal Court challenge – the non-indigenous song and dance – provides one opportunity for restoring due process. And failing all that, a movement of peoples … "