Federal government announces six choices for Australia’s first permanent nuclear dumping sites
The federal government has announced a shortlist of six sites that can be used as Australia’s first permanent nuclear waste dump for low to medium level waste. One site from these six shortlisted options will be finalised by the end of next year. This announcement has drawn discontent from some local communities as they believe such dumping grounds in populated areas can be too risky.
The six locations have been selected from 28 voluntarily nominated sites. These six sites are located at Hale in the Northern Territory, Pinkawillinie, Barndioota and Cortlinye in South Australia, Oman Ama in Queensland and Sallys Flat in NSW.
Over the next four months, the government will hold talks with the locals of these six regions on what would be turned into a 100 hectare of remote land. The sites have been nominated voluntarily by the landlords themselves who would be getting four times the original value of their land. The government will also belt out $10 million in compensation to the local community inhabiting near the chosen sites.
"We've chosen six [sites] after rigorous analysis, including input from an expert panel that's looked at the environmental, the geological, the engineering and the economic impacts of each particular site," the ABC quoted Resources and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg.
Another shortlist of three sites would be announced next year, and after the next federal election, the government will decide on the final site which will start operating from the end of the decade. However, people living near the shortlisted sites are not too optimistic about the idea of building a nuclear waste dumping ground around.
"I would prefer for it to be out in the desert or right aware from where people are living because you never know when an accident might occur, do you?" the ABC quoted Neva Lilley, a resident of Running Stream near the proposed NSW site, as saying.
The proposal has however found support from the Labor party. The opposition resources spokesperson Gary Gray said the selection of the sites was “measured and thoughtful.”
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