Indigenous opposition to nuclear dump grows

by Bob Briton

Federal Science Minister Peter McGauran needn't look so smug. While the 
Commonwealth charges ahead with an application to the Australian Radiation 
Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) for licences to build and 
operate a "low" level radioactive waste dump near Woomera before it has 
even secured its favoured site, opposition to the plan is growing at a 
rapid rate.

The Science Minister is confident that the proposed nuclear waste dump will 
be completed next year despite the fact that the South Australian 
Government is set to force a Federal Court review of the Commonwealth's 
compulsory acquisition of "site 40a" on the Arcoona sheep station in the 
State's north. The SA Government will argue that the Commonwealth breached 
natural justice by taking land from the State against the wishes of the 
overwhelming majority of South Australians.

The Minister might be right in anticipating that this bureaucratic obstacle 
will be easily overcome. What he probably didn't foresee was the stiffening 
of opposition from the Indigenous people to be affected by the scheme. 
While the Commonwealth has commissioned a high-powered, Adelaide-based 
public relations firm to push the idea of a waste dump onto an unwilling 
electorate, Indigenous groups are using grass roots networks to rally the 
"no dump" forces.

The activism of these Aboriginal groups around the issue is understandable. 
When the Commonwealth moved to take charge of the site of the waste dump, 
it acquired any potential native title rights and interests as well. The 
Native Title Act 1993 allows for this and, in some cases, the 
extinguishment of any native title rights. At the time of the land 
acquisition, the Kokatha, Barngarla and Kuyani people had native title 
claims to the land.

Incredibly, the Commonwealth has said that it is willing to negotiate an 
"Indigenous Land Use Agreement" for territory it is planning to use as a 
nuclear waste dump with the groups concerned. Most of the parties involved 
have refused to enter into any such negotiations.

The Aboriginal people have the benefit of long and bitter experience in 
dealing with governments on such issues. The Iratiwanti website (see 
details below) has assembled accounts from witnesses to the British atomic 
weapons tests that began 50 years ago at Maralinga and Emu Fields. Empty 
assurances and disregard for the welfare of Aboriginal communities were the 
order of the day then, too.

"All of us were living when the Government used the country for the Bomb. 
Some were living at Twelve Mile, just out of Coober Pedy. The smoke was 
funny and everything looked hazy. Everybody got sick. Other people were at 
Mabel Creek and many people got sick. Some people were living at 
Wallatinna. Other people go moved away. Whitefellas and all got sick.

"When we were young, no woman got breast cancer or any other kind of 
cancer. Cancer was unheard of with men either. And no asthma, we were 
people without sickness."

The website also reports the activism of this group of Aboriginal women 
elders from the Yankunytjatjara, Antikarinya and Kokatha peoples. Some of 
the spirit of this movement was captured in the recent SBS program We of 
Little Voice — Australia By Number: SA Mid North 5724.

As would be expected, their efforts have attracted a lot of attention and 
support. A group has been set up in Adelaide to help with projects like the 
10 Mile Creek Bush Camp to be held at Coober Pedy between September 28 and 
October 4.

The trade union movement has also thrown its weight behind Indigenous 
opposition to the dump. A motion to that effect was adopted as a "Policy 
Priority for Action" at the recent national congress of the ACTU and reads:

"The ACTU and affiliated unions stand in solidarity with the Indigenous 
communities in opposition to the nuclear waste dump proposed for South 
Australia."

This policy was passed as part of the new ACTU Aboriginal and Torres Strait 
Islander Peoples Policy, a policy that recognises "that the destiny of the 
Australian union movement is entwined with the destiny of Australia's 
Indigenous peoples".

It seems that, quite unwittingly, the Federal Government has created 
circumstances in which large numbers of Indigenous and non-indigenous 
Australians will be getting together to defend their interest in a safe 
environment and reclaim some control over their destinies. The Aboriginal 
women at the centre of the struggle describe the situation with crystal 
clarity:

"We've been fighting this radioactive waste, this poison, for many years. 
Arguing about it, talking to people, asking people to help us. They might 
help us, but they'll really be helping themselves. Whitefellas have got 
kids too, we all have to live in the country."

People wanting to contact the Adelaide Kungka Tjuta women's' support group 
should email Karina Lester at: lester.karina@saugov.sa.gov.au.

Organisers of the Kulini Kulini Bush Camp can also be reached at Irati 
Wanti Campaign Office, PO Box 1043
Coober Pedy
SA 5723 or
phone 08 8672 3413.

Iratiwanti website: http://www.iratiwanti.org/