Author Archive: robyn

Rally: No Nuclear Dump in the Flinders Ranges – Pt Augusta Fri 24 June

Family Friendly regional rally in Port Augusta for the Iron Triangle towns:

No nuclear waste dump in the Flinders Ranges!

12 – 2pm Friday 24 June
meet at Pt Augusta east foreshore

The Federal Government is progressing plans to dump low and intermediate level waste in the Flinders Ranges on Adnyamathanha land.

The community say No.

We want clean regions not toxic towns.

Friday June 24, 2016
12 noon
Port Augusta foreshore

Marching from the Port Augusta foreshore to Gladstone Square via Commercial Road with speakers, music, BBQ

Bring your banners, placards, friends and family.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1738048999752346/

robyn.wood@foe.org.au

No Dump Alliance launches in SA

Please sign the Statement of Concern at http://www.nodumpalliance.org.au/

Statement of Concern

South Australia is a proud state rich in possibilities, clever people, culture, creativity and breathtaking nature. We believe we can achieve so much more than become the dumping ground for the world’s radioactive waste. This statement is our response to any proposal to establish a nuclear waste dump in South Australia.

SIGN ON NOW!

Lack of Respect for Original First Nations Peoples
Aboriginal communities in South Australia endured British nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s at Emu Field and Maralinga and continue to suffer health and social impacts from these tests today. Many First Nations Peoples and their communities are opposed to all nuclear developments. A nuclear waste dump would be a permanent imposition on country, people, laws, environment and culture. From Elders in the communities to young people now speaking out, generations after generations have said NO to nuclear waste dumps.

Future Generations
To import international nuclear waste is an irrevocable decision. Once brought to South Australia, the waste would be here forever and remain dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. We would not be able to change our minds and send the waste back. Our children and countless generations who follow them would have no say in the decision, yet they are the ones who would be left with the responsibility and the cost. We have no right to mortgage their freedom and independence.

Public Health & Environmental Risks
We have a responsibility to preserve the health and safety of all South Australians and our environment. There is no ‘safe’ level of exposure to ionising radiation. Any exposure can lead to a range of health effects. Exposure can occur in routine handling of nuclear waste during transport by sea or on land, in long-term storage above ground or in the placement of the material in the proposed deep underground waste dump.… Read more >>

Nuclear ports for SA or Darwin?

Nuclear Ports brief by David Noonan, Independent Environment Campaigner

“Nuclear port in Australia to store High level Nuclear wastes and receive waste ships every 24 to 30 days for decades”

Nuclear Port Brief David Noonan May2016

Premier Jay W can’t credibly call on SA ‘to decide’ without our knowing basic key relevant information – like what region in SA is targeted for a Nuclear port?

Is the coastal region south of Whyalla – potentially Cape Hardy or other sites – the only regional option to bring High level Nuclear wastes into SA?

Or does Premier thinks Darwin & down through NT is his (only other?) option – a surprise to NT in this Federal election & in having their own NT election in August…

As pre-requisites to any so called ‘decision’ and as key initial implications of any proposed decision.

There are lots of hurdles in International nuclear dumpers way – the SA Parliament legislated to prohibit international nuclear waste, the import, transport, storage and disposal of High level Spent Nuclear fuel, back in 2000 under Liberal Premier John Olsen.

Presumably at a minimum Premier Weatherill intends to repeal this legislation in November…

The NT Parliament also legislated to prohibit International nuclear wastes and that would have to be repealed before NT could be linked into any Inter dump agenda.

Hon. Mark Butler MP restated ALP National Platform position: “Labor will Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste” at recent National Press Club

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/labor-national-president-mark-butler-raises-doubts-about-international-nuclear-waste-dump-proposed-for-south-australia/news-story/12626f088948b5b9e72953e65ac2dd30

The State Government intends to make a decision on the international waste dump proposal by the end of the year after an extensive community consultation process.

2015 National Policy Platform states:
154. Labor will:
· Vigorously and totally oppose the ocean dumping of radioactive waste;
· Prohibit the establishment of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in Australia;
· Fully meet all Australia’s obligations as a party to the NPT; and
· Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste that is sourced from overseas in Australia.

MAJOR ENVIRONMENT GROUPS REJECT INQUIRY REPORT INTO CHARITABLE STATUS

MAJOR ENVIRONMENT GROUPS REJECT INQUIRY REPORT INTO CHARITABLE STATUS

Media Statement, Places You Love Alliance

Key Australian environment groups today called on the Federal Environment Minister, Mr Greg Hunt, to reject recommendations of a report of an inquiry into the charitable status of environment groups.

The CEOs of WWF, The Australian Conservation Society, The Wilderness Society, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Friends of the Earth and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW issued the following statement on behalf of the Places You Love alliance:

Report here, including a dissenting report by Labor members.

The Report of the Inquiry into the Register of Environmental Organisations correctly recognises the enormous contribution environment groups have played in safeguarding Australia’s precious yet fragile environment, protecting icons from the Great Barrier Reef to the Franklin River.

However, the report contains a number of deeply flawed and dangerous recommendations, including an arbitrary requirement to spend a quarter of donor funds on ‘environmental remediation’ and a draconian attempt to clamp down on the type of work organisations conduct.

This flawed Inquiry, initiated by the Abbott Government and driven by a small handful of conservative MPs with the support of the mining industry, failed to uncover any evidence to justify removing the charitable status of any environment group.

We welcome the dissenting statements made by Liberal MP and committee member Jason Wood, raising significant concerns about the two most dangerous recommendations. (*See excerpts below).

We have identified two highly flawed and dangerous recommendations in the report.

Recommendation 5

The recommendation requiring environment groups spend at least 25 per cent of their supporters’ hard-earned money on ‘environmental remediation’ is ludicrous, imposing a huge bureaucratic burden on both the government and organisations, particularly small groups working with local communities. In Canada, the same policy experiment failed dismally, creating enormous red tape with no resulting public benefit.… Read more >>

Petition: No New GMOs through to back door

Please sign Friends of the Earth’s petition to Fiona Nash Assistant Minister for Health against ‘new’ GMO techniques. Include your street address and ask for a written reply.

https://friendsoftheearthmelbourne.good.do/whatpartofnogmosdonttheyunderstand/tellfionanashtoreinintheregulators/

Big agrochemical chemical companies are trying to sneak crops derived from a range of new genetic modification (GM) techniques into our food chain without safety testing or labelling. And our regulators – Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) – seem only too happy to help them!

New GM techniques such as oligo-directed mutagenesis, zinc finger nucleases and CRISPR pose the same risks as older GM techniques and need to be assessed for safety before they are allowed in our food. They should also be labelled to protect choice for farmers, food producers and consumers.

Most Australians don’t want to eat GM food and it’s high time our regulators stopped letting industry write the rules for them.