Australia’s nuclear industry is dangerous, expensive, supports nuclear weapons and creates long-lived waste that will remain radioactive for thousands of years, creating a toxic legacy for generations to come.
Uranium Mining
For more than 30 years, ALEC has campaigned strongly against uranium mining in the arid zone. With most of our water coming from underground aquifers and inadequate environmental regulations on mining, the risk of remote mining operations polluting underground water resources is too great.
Uranium mined in Australia is currently contained to four sites: Ranger near Jabiru in Top End NT; Olympic Dam near Roxby Downs; and Beverley and Honeymoon in outback SA.
ALEC successfully campaigned against the development of the Angela Pamela uranium mine, which was to be located 30 kilometres from Alice Springs, and is monitoring new mining and exploration applications.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is not ‘clean’ energy. Mining uranium is carbon intensive and leaves massive quantities of tailings, nuclear reactors are energy intensive to build, there is no solution to safely storing nuclear waste, and nuclear energy production can cause catastrophic accidents like that of Chernobyl and Fukushima – which are still leaking radiation into the environment today.
Nuclear Waste
ALEC continues to advocate against dumping radioactive waste in remote Australia. ALEC supported the campaign that stopped a National Nuclear Waste Repository being located at Muckaty Station north of Tennant Creek in May 2105, and helped lead a community campaign against the nomination of the Aridgold Date Farm located 75kms from Alice Springs in May 2016.
Only one site is left under consideration to host the national radioactive waste management facility; Wallerberdina Station in the Barndioota region of South Australia. Traditional Owners and neighbours are strongly opposed and momentum is building for a local, regional and statewide campaign. Join the Facebook group and sign the online petition to stop the national radioactive waste dump being built on Adnyamathanha land in SA.
Also, the South Australian nuclear Royal Commission has recommended an international nuclear dump be established as soon as possible in the state! This would likely be imposed on a remote community against the wishes of traditional owners. Australia should not be the world’s nuclear waste dumping ground! Visit the South Australian No Dump Alliance website and support the campaign.
Beyond Nuclear Initiative
The Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) aims to highlight the adverse impact of the uranium and wider nuclear industry in Australia and promote a nuclear-free future. Project workers engage with a range of stakeholder organisations including health professionals, trade unions, Aboriginal representative bodies and human rights organisations to build support networks for affected communities and national awareness of issues facing remote and isolated communities.
BNI is a joint project of Arid Lands Environment Centre, Australian Conservation Foundation and Friends of the Earth Australia.
See Beyond Nuclear Initiative for more information: http://beyondnuclearinitiative.com/
Talking about Uranium
Talking about Uranium is an educational resource package designed for use in Central Australian communities and schools to explore the health, environmental, cultural and social impacts of uranium mining and nuclear projects.
The resource package was developed with the assistance of local health and environment organisations and Traditional Owners whose homelands have been impacted by uranium exploration and mining. The story and resources are available in both Arrernte and English in recognition of the limited amount of information about the impacts of the nuclear industry accessible to Aboriginal people whom continue to be disproportionately targeted by this industry, and for whom English is often a second, third or fourth language.
To order a copy of the resource package please contact [email protected]
Watch now on Youtube:
Talking About Uranium (Arrernte) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v75mbnIX1Ag
Talking About Uranium (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ-2jkhKlDE
Image: The Titjikala community saying no to the AridGold Date Farm nomination, April 2016