Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Bill

As you may know, there will be an Inquiry into the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Bill, put forward by Senator Ludlam last week.

Information about the Inquiry is online here: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eca_ctte/radioactive_waste/info.htm

This Bill put forward by Senator Ludlam repeals the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act of 2005 and the amendments to that legislation made in 2006.

I have pasted below Senator Ludlam's Second Reading Speech which sets out the many reasons why the legislation should be repealed.

Submissions are due by Friday 31 October. You are strongly, strongly urged to make a submission to the Inquiry! Send your submissions to

Committee Secretary Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Australia
Phone: +61 2 6277 3526
Fax: +61 2 6277 5818
Email: eca.sen@aph.gov.au

Hearings will be held in mid-November, and if enough submissions are received from the Territory, it is a possibility that a hearing will be held in Darwin and/or Alice Springs. The report will be due in early December.

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COMMONWEALTH RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT (REPEAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENT) BILL 2008 - Second Reading
Senator LUDLAM (Western Australia) (9:37 AM)
—I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.
Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—
COMMONWEALTH RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT (REPEAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENT) BILL 2008
The Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act Repeal Bill 2008 will repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 and the related Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Legislation Amendment Act 2006. This legislation enables the Federal government to impose a radioactive waste facility on an unwilling Territory government, and on unwilling communities.

Before the 2004 election, Federal Environment Minister, Senator Campbell provided an ‘absolute categorical assurance’ that a radioactive dump would not be imposed on the Northern Territory. In July 2005 it was announced, after no consultation with the NT Government or affected traditional owners and communities, that three Department of Defence sites - Harts Range, Fisher’s Ridge and Mt Everard - had been short-listed for assessment.

The Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act (CRWMA) 2005 was then pushed through federal parliament, overriding NT laws prohibiting transport and storage of federal nuclear waste. The legislation prevents the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 from having effect during investigation of potential dump sites, and it excluded the Native Title Act 1993 from operating at all. Procedural fairness is also wiped out through suspension of the Judicial Review Act.

Amendments passed in 2006 to the CRWMA override Aboriginal Land Rights Act procedures requiring informed consent from all affected people and groups. Indeed, these changes explicitly stated that site nominations from Land Councils are valid even in the absence of consultation with and consent from traditional owners.

Under the amended process, Muckaty, 120 km north of Tennant Creek, was nominated by the Northern Land Council. The site was added to the short-list of potential sites in September 2007, when former Science Minister Julie Bishop accepted the contentious nomination. This clearly ignored strong, public opposition from a number of traditional owners from the Muckaty Land Trust.

In response to this announcement, Senator Carr, the Shadow Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research stated,
“Today’s announcement is yet the next chapter in the decade-long saga of lies and mismanagement that has become Howard’s waste dump. The Howard Government has tried to impose its waste dump at numerous sites around the country; settling on the Northern Territory because of its ability to steamroll the Territory’s rights and impose the dump against its will.After forcing legislation through Federal Parliament, the Science Minister now has full Ministerial discretion over the siting of a nuclear waste facility in the Northern Territory. Labor believes that Howard’s bullyboy tactics in the Northern Territory are no way to select a nuclear waste dump. Labor is committed to repealing the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act and establishing a consensual process of site selection.Labor’s process will look to agreed scientific grounds for determining suitability. Community consultation and support will be central to our approach.

In April 2007, the Australian Labor Party national conference passed its National Platform, Chapter 5 of which states that a “Federal Labor Government will:

• not proceed with the development of any of the current sites identified by the Howard Government in the Northern Territory, if no contracts have been entered into for those sites.
• repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005.
  establish a process for identifying suitable sites that is scientific, transparent, accountable, fair and allows access to appeal mechanisms.
• identify a suitable site for a radioactive waste dump in accordance with the new process.
  ensure full community consultation in radioactive waste decision-making processes.
  commit to international best practice scientific processes to underpin Australia’s radioactive waste management, including transportation and storage.”
  

A number of senior Labor Ministers and Senators released media statements prior to the 2007 federal election pledging repeal of the CRWMA if elected. ALP politicians had referred to the legislation as ‘draconian’, ‘sordid’, ‘arrogant’ and ‘profoundly shameful’. In their media statement issued on 6 March 2007 by Senator Carr, Shadow Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research, MP Warren Snowdon, Member for Lingiari and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs, and NT Senator Trish Crossin. This committed Federal Labor to:

• Legislate to restore transparency, accountability and procedural fairness including the right of access to appeal mechanisms in any decisions in relation the siting of any nuclear waste facilities;
• Ensure that any proposal for the siting of a nuclear waste facility on Aboriginal Land in the Northern Territory would adhere to the requirements that exist under the Aboriginal Land Rights, Northern Territory Act (ALRA);
• Restore the balance and, pending contractual obligation, will not proceed with the establishment of a nuclear waste facility on or off Aboriginal land until the rights removed by the Howard government are restored and a proper and agreed site selection process is carried out; and
• Not arbitrarily impose a nuclear waste facility without agreement on any community, anywhere in Australia.

The Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 has been ineffective and controversial. Leaving this legislation in place undermines the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Heritage Protection Act, overrides Aboriginal Land Rights procedures and is a blatant disregard for the express wishes of the Territory government. Repealing this legislation is implementing an ALP federal election promise and will pave the way for a new approach to the management of Australia’s radioactive waste.

Australia’s radioactive waste is a legacy of decisions taken in the past, specifically in the Menzies era when the government opened a research reactor at Lucas Heights, 31 kms from the heart of Sydney. Decisions taken then reflect historically specific moments in science and in politics.
Both the scientific and the political methods we have today contrast sharply with those of the Cold War era during which assumptions about the relatively new nuclear technology were simplistic and utopian and nuclear decision-making was cloaked in secrecy, far away from the public eye.

The decisions we take today about Australia’s radioactive waste - how it should be stored, where it should be stored, whether it should be transported and centralised - should reflect the best science we have at our disposal now, as well as the best democratic and transparent processes that governments and citizens can utilise in today’s world.

Transparency is what Australia has been lacking in its decision-making about radioactive waste management. Recent attempts to impose an “out of sight, out of mind solution” onto unwilling communities, or communities that have been divided through the provision of payments are not sustainable “solutions” but doomed because they do not enjoy public confidence.

Senator LUDLAM —I seek leave to continue my remarks later.
Leave granted; debate adjourned.

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Creative Industries Workshop to be held on 25 November

Here is a summary of our discussions re the Creative Industries Workshop to be held on 25 November:

Suggested participants:
* ICT Industry network members
* Screen Content businesses
* Art Networks
* Photo visual businesses
* Media businesses
* Multi media businesses
* Universities/Trainers
* Advertising businesses
* Government support agencies

Format of workshop
0830- 1015 5 minute introduction from all participants: their business and products.
1015-1030 Quick coffee break
1030- 1100 Business Clusters 101- some business clustering stories and theory.
1100- 1130 Creative Industry Cluster Activities from other parts of Australia (QUT speaker either by video or in person).
1130- 1400 Working lunch. Facilitated small group discussion around:
? The opportunities for Alice Springs
? The missing links!

1400- 1600 Facilitated full group session around:
? Priority setting
? Action planning for key projects.

At the end of the day workshop members will have:
decided if a local creative industries cluster is viable
developed a shared set of projects/actions that they want to do.
agreed upon the next steps.

This will then be drafted into a report

Evening Option: It was also discussed that a venue be arranged for evening drinks after the workshop. This will provide opportunity for more discussion (if some of us get excited). It would also be good for those unable to attend full day to meet and catch up on what was missed. This also enables us to be strict about a 4pm end time enabling people to return to work and catch up before going to evening meeting.

Add this date to your diary (or enter a reminder on your phone) - 25 November @ Desert Kowledge 8.30am - 4pm with option to meet for drinks afterwards.

Sept update

Alice Springs Town Council is currently looking at many projects with long term implications for the town.

We have had several meetings regarding the $5M CBD redevelopment, looking at ways to link the town in a more environmentally friendly way. This includes walkways and cycleways linking the three hills - Annie Meyers Hill, Anzac Hill and Billy Goat Hill. We hope to have more emphasis on the Desert Park and Olive Pink Botanical Gardens and also on turning the town focus more towards the Todd River and surrounding Ranges than looking centrally into the Mall.

The Environment Advisory Committee (EAC) of which I am chair met for the first time and we discussed a range of topics including Waste Management at the Landfill, Cycling Infrastructure, Solar Cities, Recycling and the Local Action Plan for Climate Change. The Local Action Plan (LAP) was created a few years ago as Milestone 3 under the Cities for Climate Protection scheme. We are now heading for Milestone 4 which is implementation of the plan. In the first instance the EAC has asked Council and Power And Water to provide analysis of the original Greenhouse Gas Emisions data so we can have meaningful measurement of the impact of our actions. There are 17 members on the committee all with expertise in various areas of environment and environmental management so I look forward to good things in both the long and short term.

The Corporate and Community Services Committee (CCS) which I also chair has met on a range of issues including Animal Management By-laws where we advocate for much higher penalties for dog attack but also where we have allocated neighbourhood parks where owners may let their dogs off the leash between 5-8am and 5-8pm. Hopefully we will have attained a good balance of policies to ensure responsible pet ownership in harmony with the community.

Also, I launched the Chlamydia Awareness Campaign "Safe Sex. No Regrets" which is very important in the NT where our rate of STI's is nearing 4 times that of the rest of Australia. This campaign is aimed at youth. I also launched the legal graffiti wall at ANZAC Hill High School. Kieron Wilson, graffiti artist from Brisbane conducted workshops for a week and the culmination is a legal wall for graffiti artists.

If you would like to know more about council or have an issue which concerns you, contact me by email jane@nt.greens.org.au or phone 0417864935

ICT Creative Industries business cluster news

Desert Knowledge Australia Cross Border Business Networks Project
We have been working for some time on bringing together a cross border project that builds upon the networks created and the experiences gained through the Linked Business Networks Project and the Our Outback Tourism Project.

I am delighted to advise that the Australian Government recently announced its $3 million commitment to the three year project. They have joined with 23 other partners to resource a collaborative project that will see Network Development Officers placed in nine regions and an Our Outback Project Officer and two other staff based with Desert Knowledge Australia. We hope to commence the project in October.

Further details: http://www.desertknowledge.com.au/resource/CBBNP%20funding%20announcement%20dated%2011%20August%20final.pdf

Desert Knowledge Symposium and Business Showcase 3-6 November 2008
The Symposium and Business Showcase will offer some great opportunities for businesses (See http://www.desertknowledge2008.com/ for the latest information) including:
Highly relevant presentations, particularly in networks and industry themes.

A business networking forum chaired by a name many will recognise: Ifor Ffowcs Williams of Cluster Navigators

The opportunity to meet like minded businesses at specially organised meetings, the business breakfast and through participation in a Business Showcase stand.

10 Subsidised registrations available for local ICT industry. To access this offer email a brief expression of interest to Joy Taylor (joy.taylor@desertknowledge.com.au) by close of business 18 September. Note that an expression of interest will lock in your access to earlybird rate which closes on 19 September.



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Election Results WA 2008

Western Australia Election Results - Antony Green


WA Legislative Council Results


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ALICE SPRINGS ICT INDUSTRY SEPT 2008

industry update Now Available

Full Details: https://promo-manager.server-secure.com/em/message/email/view.php?id=86429&u=2852

It contains Updates from:

• Joy Taylor re ICT Industry Cluster
• Penelope McDonald re NT Film Office and
• Dennis Bree re NT Government's future ICT Sourcing strategy and consultation with the ICT industry

Important Dates:

• Suggestions for speakers and content for ICT Forum to be sent to Jane Clark by 7 September
• Forum working group will meet on 8th September 3pm
• ICT Forum Nov 25
• Desert Knowledge Business Showcase Nov 3 – 7

NTG ICT Industry engagement is planned to be undertaken as follows.

1. The release of a Discussion Paper on 8 September 2008 and request for the industry to provide comments by 3 October 2008. This may be followed up with one-on-one sessions to discuss responses in more detail.
2. Briefings in Darwin, Alice Springs and Sydney

Alice Springs Industry Briefing 10 Sept 5-6pm

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