News Update 10 March 2007

March 10, 2007 
OWNERS OFFERED 100-YEAR RENT PLAN FOR NUKE DUMP

TRADITIONAL owners have been offered $9 million every five years for 100
years to allow a nuclear waste facility to be built on their land.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,21356937-662,00.html

By Nigel Adlam

TRADITIONAL owners have been offered $9 million every five years for 100
years to allow a nuclear waste facility to be built on their land.

The Federal Government money would go to the Northern Land Council for
distribution among the 395 owners of Muckaty Station, north of Tennant
Creek.

The offer was put by the land council at a meeting on Muckaty Station.

The meeting became heated as supporters and opponents of the plan
clashed.

The Northern Territory News was told some of the opponents - dubbed
"dissidents" by the land council - were threatened with violence.

But the alleged victims said yesterday they had been told not to reveal
what happened at the meeting or they would not be paid their share of
the Federal Government royalties.

One traditional owner said: "Those in favour were screaming at the
'dissidents'. It got very ugly. Many people were shocked at the anger
and threats of violence."

Land council chairman John Daly, who addressed the meeting, could not be
contacted last night.

Nobody lives permanently at Muckaty, with the majority of the land's
traditional owners living at Tennant Creek. The rest live at Elliott.

They go to Muckaty only for business meetings, ceremonies and hunting.

The Federal Government will carry out an environmental assessment at
Muckaty if traditional owners support the nuclear waste facility.

The land council has been asked by some traditional owners to put
forward a second site -- near Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula.

Land council chief executive Norm Fry said in a written statement:
"Privacy and confidentiality requirements mean that the NLC is not
prepared to comment regarding matters discussed at the meeting.

_______________________________________________________

March 10, 2007 
MEDIA RELEASE
Secret dump dealing must stop

Revelations of the perverse secret dump dealings of the Federal
Government's radioactive waste club highlights why we need an open,
transparent process on this issue Senator Trish Crossin says.

"Why has Minister Julie Bishop allowed the offer to Muckaty Traditional
Owners of $9 million every five years for a hundred years to be hidden
behind confidentiality and commercial in confidence excuses?" Senator
Crossin said.

"If the process isn't farcical why keep it a secret including refusing
to answer questions about it in Senate estimates hearings.

"Why target some of the poorest, most vulnerable people in Australia
with a secret deal instead of a transparent process which might generate
other expressions of interest from communities elsewhere?

"The Minister is going for the expedient political quick fix.

"Her departmental officers, whose job is to dump the waste, are the only
outsiders being able to present a view on the dump to Traditional
Owners.

"Even then it seems just a select group of the Muckaty Traditional
Owners have been welcome at the meetings so far.

"Dissenting voices amongst traditional owners should be heard, as well
as the balancing view from an organisation such as the Australian
Conservation Foundation.

"This radioactive dump and the caskets of intermediate level waste will
be with us much longer than one hundred years.

"Labor calls for an open, transparent process to decide the fate of this
waste" Senator Crossin said.

Media Contact:  Senator Trish Crossin & Chris Hallett
04 3981 7050

Chris Hallett
Office of Senator Trish Crossin - Darwin NT
Tel: (08) 8931 0830 /  Mob: 04 3981 7050 / Fax: (08) 8931 0513
chris.hallett@aph.gov.au / www.trishcrossin.com.au