By Natalie Wasley
Since the NT waste dump proposal was announced in 2005, Traditional Owners and supporters have been actively opposing the plan. The ALP took office in 2007, yet due in part to community pressure, nothing has been progressed procedurally at all by the government since then. The community campaign however, has continued to build steadily. There have been rallies in Tennant Creek and across the NT, numerous letters and appeals to government, delegations making submissions and attending Parliamentary Inquiries, lobbying in Canberra, speaking tours across the country, a trade union delegation to Tennant Creek, the photo exhibition launch and much, much more.
The National Radioactive Waste Management Bill is again scheduled for debate in the Senate this Wednesday. If this Bill passes the Senate- which is likely to happen soon given the ALP and Coalition both support it- it means Muckaty can be declared as the preferred site and the environmental assessments will begin. Minister Martin Ferguson's Bill is almost a complete cut and paste of the John Howard law it is purporting to replace and names Muckaty as the only site to be further assessed. We want all Senators to reject the Bill while it preserves the contested Muckaty nomination.
We are calling on all supporters around the country to please take four simple actions THIS WEEK:
1- A petition has been uploaded at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-nuclear-waste-dump-at-muckaty.html We are hoping to have a few thousand people sign this by the time the legislation is voted on, so please sign on and send the link as far and wide as possible.
2- After you sign the petition, please take a few minutes to call or email the Senators of your state/territory and ask them to vote against the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill. All of the contacts are at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/contacts/los.htm. Cabinet members are well aware of how contested Muckaty is but some of the other Senators may not understand the level of opposition to the plan. A call from a constituent (you!) will help put it on their radar. The main point is to ask them to not support the legislation, but you can also tell them the reasons why you are opposed to the plan. If you want to hear some more from Traditional Owners before you call the Senators, watch Muckaty Voices (youtube), or listen to any of the audio of Muckaty mob speaking that is archived on the BNI website: www.beyondnuclearinitiative.com/audio
3- This last action is the really fun one...please take a photo of yourself holding a sign with 'No nuclear waste dump at Muckaty', 'No Muckaty nuclear dump', 'Dont dump on Muckaty', or any similar words, and email it to me. These will be uploaded as a slideshow onto the BNI website and updated as more and more are sent in. It will be the start of a virtual march on Canberra...
4- Send this information on to all of your family and friends
Speaking of the website...
...while you are checking out your photo and all of the others on the website, you can subscribe in the right hand column to receive an email when new posts are added, the easiest way to keep up with the BNI campaign events and initiatives.
PHOTO EXHIBITION UPDATE
- Photos and catalogues for sale
On January 17 in Sydney we launched a new touring photo exhibition about the Muckaty waste dump struggle. Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud presents the community and country in the Northern Territory targeted to host a federal radioactive waste dump. The photos aim to break down the conception that these areas are 'the middle of nowhere' and thus suitable for dumping of hazardous materials.
Photographer Jagath Dheerasekara (http://jd.photoshelter.com/) is of political refugee background from Sri Lanka and specialises in social documentary and social justice reportage. Jagath received the Amnesty International Human Rights Innovation Grant 2010 to begin work on this exhibition and was a finalist in the prestigious Bowness Photography Prize 2011 with one of the images.
The exhibition is a collaborative project with the Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) and the Muckaty Traditional Owners featured in the photographs. The exhibition is also supported by Amnesty International, Jumbunna Indigenous house of Learning (UTS), Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (University of Sydney).
The opening night was really well attended and special guests included (among many wonderful people) Muckaty Traditional Owners Bunny Nabarula and Penny Phillips, journalist John Pilger and Senator Lee Rhiannon. All of the speeches from the night are online at www.beyondnuclearinitiative.com/audio, and photos from the opening are posted at www.beyondnuclearinitaitive.com/photos. The actual exhibition images are on the home page of the BNI site.
A limited edition of each print are available for sale. All proceeds go toward touring the exhibition and funding community campaign initiatives. If you are interested in purchasing one for your home or office please contact Jagath: jagathdheerasekara@gmail.com.
There are also copies of the exhibition catalogue for sale for the bargain price of $20 (plus $5 if postage is required). The catalogue includes a DVD of the 'Muckaty Voices' film, all of the exhibition images, statements and a poem from Traditional Owners, statements from Amnesty International, the photographer and curator and a detailed overview of the waste dump proposal and campaign of resistance. This is a great campaign record and a very accessible way to share the story with family and friends. I have to add a thank you here again to everyone who contributed funds to help get the catalogue printed : ) Contact me if you would like one.
-Exhibition tour dates
The exhibition will travel next to Melbourne for the Sustainable Living Festival March 17-19 http://festival.slf.org.au/ , then to WA for Foto Freo Festival March 17-April 20. http://www.fotofreo.com/ . More dates and locations will be confirmed soon.
- Media release and coverage
The exhibition opening received a lot of national and international media attention, including ABC breakfast TV, Radio national breakfast and BBC world radio!
Here are links to a couple of the stories and the media release we sent out is attached.
ABC Alice Springs- http://blogs.abc.net.au/nt/2012/01/muckaty-on-show.html
NITV news- http://www.nitv.org.au/fx-user.cfm?uid=6B00E5C7-9682-1F9F-AB9ADE22EDBC373A
Thanks to everyone who made it to the end of this email, once again there is a lot to report.
Time for action! I look forward to receiving your photos....
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Beyond Nuclear Initiative
www.beyondnuclearinitiative.com
0429 900 774
