Defence Department opposes nuclear dump
By Molly Wishart
Chiefs of the three defence forces and the secretary of the federal Department of Defence have written to the government expressing opposition to hosting a nuclear waste dump on land used by the department in South Australia.
Two of the six sites short-listed for the dump lie within the Woomera Prohibited Area, a 127,000 sq km region used for missile testing in the Menzies era and for a variety of purposes since then. The military brass are concerned that the dump could affect their operations.
The dump plan also faces growing public opposition, with a recent survey finding that 86% of South Australians oppose the dump. The chair of the Andamooka Progress Association told the Australian: "They're all talking about world's best practice but I don't really give a shit. You ask anyone if they want a nuclear dump 16 km from where they live."
The Australian Conservation Foundation is hosting a public meeting in the Adelaide Town Hall on November 18 to build the campaign against the dump. The meeting will be addressed by the ACF's Peter Garrett and David Noonan, Rebecca Bear-Wingfield from the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta women's group, Green Left Weekly journalist and nuclear researcher Jim Green, and representatives of the ALP and the Australian Democrats.