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After Federal Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson announced that a nuclear waste dump would be built in the Northern Territory, few realised it was being built on indigenous land without the consent of the majority of Traditional Land Owners.

As Ferguson refused to travel from his office in Preston, Melbounre to Muckaty N.T to talk to the Traditional owners, a few representatives from the Muckaty community decided to pay him a visit.

From Muckaty to Melbourne

An evening focused on bringing the voices of Muckaty in the Northern Territory to the inner city suburb of Northcote to create awareness around the issues of Radioactive Waste Management in Australia and the sensitivity of the site selection of the nations only proposed Radioactive Waste repository site.

People living in the Darebin electorate have a special connection to this issue and the people of Muckaty, as their local Minister; Martin Ferguson is the Federal Minister for energy, resources and tourism, and has recently proposed a new Bill. The proposed bill, The National Radioactive Waste Management Bill, gives Minister Ferguson huge powers in deciding upon the site for the first Radioactive Waste dump in Australia. 

Site selection would be at his discretion, and assessment methods would also be at his discretion. This is a huge responsibility and power and a site for a radioactive repository needs to be taken extremely seriously. 

Indigenous people and the environment will not be dumped upon to deal with this radioactive issue

The nomination of Muckaty, as a potential radioactive waste management site was not carried out with the proper consultation required and the site is not even environmentally viable as a suitably safe and secure site.

"All along we have said we don't want this dump on our land but we have been ignored. Martin Ferguson has avoided us and ignored our letters but he knows very well how we feel. He has been arrogant and secretive and he thinks he has gotten away with his plan but in fact he has a big fight on his hands. We won't be letting that dump go ahead on our land because our duty is to look after that special place for future generations and that's exactly what we plan to do."

-- Dianne Stokes, Muckaty Traditional Owner 

21st April 2010

Speakers - 

Traditional owners: Dianne stokes (Yapa Yapa Group) & Mark Chungaloo (Milwa Group)

Additional speakers: Dr Bill Williams ( Medical Association for the prevention of War), Dr Jim Green ( Friends of the Earth), Dave Sweeney ( Australian Conservation Foundation), Nat Wasley ( Arid Lands Environment Centre N.T), Tully McIntyre & Cat Beaton (Friends Of The Earth ACE), Adam Brandt (The Greens - Electorate of Melbourne), Alex Bahil (The Greens - Electorate of Batman)

Clip: The Vagabond 2010

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