Nicky Pirro
BRIBIE ISLAND — Before the Labor Party came to power at the last state election, voters were promised that an ALP victory would stop proposals to establish a low-level radioactive dump at Redbank Plains.
After the election, the site was abandoned. The reason given was that no environmental impact survey had been made by the previous National Party government.
Much was made of this decision — it was hailed as victory for the democratic process, and all those people who had actively opposed the establishment of the dump were elated by their success.
But now the Goss government has turned its attention to two small rural communities in south-east Queensland — Esk in the Brisbane Valley and Beerburrum in the Glasshouse Mountains area of the Sunshine Coast — in its endeavours to find a "suitable"location for the euphemistically entitled "facility".
Environmental impact studies have been commissioned of both sites from Hollingsworth, Dames and Moore — described on their letterheads as Geotechnical Engineers, Environment Scientists and Town and Regional Planners.
At the same time, a Brisbane public relations firm has been engaged by the state government — its role in the "community consultation process" has not yet been made clear.
The people of both communities vigorously oppose the building of a radioactive waste dump on state forest land in their areas .
Although assured by "experts" that no-one will be exposed to any danger, they fear possible accidents, both at the dump and when radioactive materials are being transported. Distrust of politicians and of the bureaucrats who would be in charge of the dump is widespread.
Community action groups have been formed to fight the proposals, among them PARD — People Against Radioactive Dumps.
Local green organisations such as the Caboolture Environmental Defence Association have also turned their attention to the issue. The inevitable degradation of the environment and the possible economic effects on local rural industry are both causes for concern.
In their government-commissioned "Radioactive Waste Storage facility Initial Advice Statement", Hollingsworth, Dames and Moore state that "radiation doses to members of the public shall be kept as low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors being taken into account", and "under no circumstances will the value [of radiation] for members of the public be permitted to exceed 50% of the limit recommended by the National Health Medical Research Council".
Statements like these and the secrecy regarding the exact possible alleviate the fears of local people, who last month made their displeasure known to Premier Goss on a visit to Caboolture for an ALP function.
Local Labor Party MP Jon Sullivan, who ousted the National Party incumbent at the state election, may well be seriously concerned at his government's proposals; it is confidently predicted that, should the radioactive waste dump be built at Beerburrum, his stay in parliament will be brief.
Meanwhile, radioactive waste is currently stored in a concrete shed located in the Works Department Store at Petrie Bight — beside the river in the heart of Brisbane.
This building was inundated during the 1974 floods. Further, it was not designed as a radioactive waste store and in the Initial Advice Statement, Hollingsworth,Dames and Moore acknowledge that it is "filled beyond capacity for normal safe operational procedures to be maintained".
Isotopes currently stored there are cobalt 60, caesium 137, americium 241 and radium.
The substances are packed in metal containers and wooden and cardboard boxes and would require substantial repackaging before being transported to another location.
The store has been used for radioactive storage for many years, and its contents have been piled on top of each other haphazardly, posing a further problem for workers engaged in any future removal and repackaging.
Whilst the federal government fails to provide a national facility for low-level radioactive waste storage and state governments respond to the problem on an ad hoc basis, small communities like Beerburrum and Esk will continue to be played off against one another by a cynical bureaucracy. The problem of disposal must be addressed nationally as a matter of urgency.