Australians, as huge beneficiaries of medical services, should dispose its waste on its own land. It is the idea that drives Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg to promote a nuclear waste dump in the country. The federal government has already provided six shortlisted sites, and a single preferred location is expected to house the country’s low to intermediate nuclear waste by 2020.

Despite a number of “false starts” in the past, Frydenberg said that landowners themselves already had come forward to offer locations for the dumpsite. The available locations include Cortlinye, Pinkawillinie and Barndioota in South Australia, Hale in the Northern Territory, Sallys Flat in New South Wales and Oman Ama in Queensland.

The locations were picked from 28 voluntarily nominated sites. The government will be conducting community consultations to determine one or two sites from the six possible locations by 2016.

Australians greatly benefit from the nuclear industry, particular the production of medicine. Frydenberg highlighted that it would be better to disperse waste on a single site rather than across the country.

“Australia can't ask another country to dispose of its waste, we're internationally obliged to deal with our own waste,” Frydenberg said. He noted that the future nuclear waste dump would not store high-level waste from countries buying uranium in Australia.

The future waste dump would open more jobs for the community, according to Nationals MP John Cobb, whose NSW electorate of Calare covers the proposed Sallys Flat site. But he also expects that people will be alarmed by the project.

He told the ABC that there would be a little risk from the waste dump, however, people should keep an open mind for the consultation in the coming months. “I think people need to sit down, listen and learn what it's about and then make their decision.”

The government would pay the owner of the selected land about four times its value, while the community near the area will receive about $10 million.

The mayor of Goondiwindi, Graeme Scheu, has recently learned that Oman Ama, one of the shortlisted lands, is in his council area. Scheu agreed with the idea of Frydenberg for Australia to handle the disposal of its nuclear waste from medical services.

“If we're going to take benefits from medical advancements, we've got to be able to responsibly store the waste from that,” he told AAP.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au or tell us what you think below

RELATED STORIES