ALICE SPRINGS — The traditional owners of one of the federal government’s proposed nuclear dump sites — on Arrernte land 25 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs — say they don’t want poison from Sydney’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor brought to their country.

In a September 12 statement, traditional owner Benedict Stevens said, “The government says it is safe waste, but if it is so safe why are they thinking about bringing it halfway across the country to our land?”

“The government has already taken land away from us, we have learned to live with that but now they want to destroy that land by putting a waste dump” on it, Stephens said.

“As Arrente people it is our responsibility to protect the land for future generations of our people and all people in the community ...

“The government must first settle the urgent issue of waste management in Australia before they allow further mining of uranium in a country that has a history of nuclear contamination of the land and the environment.”

Kerry Smith

From Green Left Weekly, September 21, 2005.
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