Friends of the Earth released this statement on December 5.
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Friends of the Earth's Radioactive Exposure Tour will take place from Friday March 29 to Sunday April 7 next year.
These tours have exposed thousands of people first-hand to the realities of “radioactive racism” and to the environmental impacts of the nuclear industry.
After travelling from Melbourne to Adelaide we will head through Port Augusta and visit the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Then we'll travel north to the SA desert, we'll visit BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam uranium mine at Roxby Downs, the largest uranium deposit in the world. The expansion of Olympic Dam is now shelved but the mine is still an environmental and social disaster in itself.
We'll watch sunset over Lake Eyre and see the Mound Springs — oases that are fed by the underlying Great Artesian Basin and host unique flora and fauna. Sadly, some of the Mound Springs have been adversely affected or destroyed altogether by the massive water taken for the Olympic Dam mine. The water is taken from Arabunna land and we'll hopefully get to spend time with Arabunna elder Kevin Buzzacott, co-president of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance.
We'll hear first-hand accounts of the British nuclear bomb tests from Maralinga veteran and whistle-blower Avon Hudson. After stopping for a swim at Coward Springs, we'll head east and camp in the beautiful Gammon Ranges and visit the not-so-beautiful Beverley uranium mine.
We'll hear about the struggle to prevent uranium mining in the magnificent Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, camping nearby and in one of the beautiful gorges further south in the Flinders Ranges National Park.
Participants get to experience affinity groups, consensus decision making, desert camping and vegetarian, communal cooking while travelling to some of the most beautiful and ecologically significant environments in Australia.
We're particularly keen for you to come along if you are involved in anti-nuclear campaigning or if you're interested in getting involved.
The costs are: concession $500 - waged $750 - solidarity $950. If cost is a barrier, contact the organisers to discuss funding ideas.
If you're interested in joining in the 2013 Radioactive Exposure Tour, contact radexposuretour@gmail.com