May 2003 - No 1.

Senator Minchin set to sign off on nuclear dump compulsory land acquisition

Today the Federal Environment Minister David Kemp is expected to rubber-stamp an Environmental Impact Statement on the federal government¹s plan for a national low and intermediate-level radioactive waste dump. Federal Science Minister McGauran will then be allowed to select the site for his nuclear dump near Woomera in north SA.

Dr Jim Green said "These Federal Ministers are undermining democratic process and Indigenous rights. The impact assessment and site study is a sham - written, reviewed and rubber-stamped by the same Federal Government."

Following the announcement due on Friday Senator Minchin plans to approve use of compulsory land acquisition powers to seize control of land for the dump.
"Senator Minchin will cut out part of South Australia using the quickest, most undemocratic and unfair of the options available to him under the Land Acquisition Act. These Ministers intend to acquire and annul all Native Title rights and interests in the area without even issuing Notices under the Native Title Act, denying traditional owners their rights to procedural fairness" said Dr Jim Green.

The Native Title Act would provide the Kokatha people, who are the registered Native tile claimants, a right to negotiate and a right to be heard by a third party such as the National Native Title Tribunal.

Minister Kemp's own Indigenous Advisory Committee wrote to him on April 14th expressing the total opposition of the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta, the senior Aboriginal women of north SA, and of the Kokatha people to this nuclear dump plan.

"What has Minister Kemp done to answer his own Advisory Committee's advice against the nuclear dump plan going ahead?" asks Dr Jim Green.

The Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta are recent winners of the prestigious international Goldman Prize in recognition of their campaign against the nuclear dump.

Contact for comment:
Dr Jim Green, Campaign Against Nuclear Dumping, Ph 8211 7604;
David Noonan, ACF Campaign Officer Ph 82322566, Mobile 0408 821 058