Independent Environmental Campaigner David Noonan has prepared a public submission to the draft Australian Radiation Protection And Nuclear Safety Agency Information for Stakeholders & associated Regulatory Guide to Licensing a Radioactive Waste Storage or Disposal Facility.
A copy of the submission is available at the link:
dnoonan-submission-to-arpansa-info-for-stakeholders-12dec2016
One of the most important things you can do to prevent nuclear waste dumps in SA is to talk to your MP. MPs are saying their constituents are not contacting them opposing the dump proposals and silence is either seen as consent, or that its not a big issue for constituents.
You don’t need to be an expert, just talk to your MP about your own perspective and speak from the heart. Its a good idea to ask them for their position and opinion and which way they would vote. Its particularly important to speak up about the international dump during October and November.
State MPs
Talk to them about your opposition to SA becoming the world’s nuclear waste dump. Let them know your environmental concerns, worker and public safety concerns, future generations, lack of respect for Traditional Owners and transport and terrorism risks. Tell them you want to keep the legislation that currently bans nuclear waste dumps.
More information here and here.
To find your State MP look up your suburb to find your electorate here then find which MP represents your electorate here.
Federal MPs
Talk to them about the federal government’s plan to put a waste dump at Wallerbedina, near Barndioota, near Hawker in the Flinders Ranges.
Talk to them about the need to keep federal legislation that bans the establishment of nuclear waste dumps in Australia. Ask them how they would vote if a bill to change the legislation was introduced.
If your MP is Labor, ask them to keep strong to the Labor platform of banning nuclear waste dumps and ask them how they would vote if a proposal to overturn the ban were introduced.
More information here.
To find your Federal electorate and Federal MP search here.
Any questions? Contact us at adelaide.office@foe.org.au
We don’t normally share petitions but this is an exception, calling on Labor, the Greens and Cross Benchers to block the TPP legislation in the Senate.
“The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (or TPP) is a dangerous trade deal with the potential to destroy thousands of Australian jobs.
The deal was negotiated by Malcolm Turnbull behind closed doors and allows corporations to sue our government just for making laws in the public interest. The TPP risks our jobs, our health and our democracy.
We have to defeat the TPP because:
it allows corporations to sue Australia just for making laws in the public interest (like lowering the cost of medicines for the sick).
it will force Australia to take even more workers on dodgy visas, undermining our wages and conditions and allowing corporations to make a killing off the backs of exploited foreign workers.
it says it will protect workers and the environment but is vague and almost unenforceable.
We have to stop this corporate power grab –and we can.
Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t have the votes to ratify this dangerous deal if Labor, the Greens and the crossbench Senators unite to block it.
Sign the petition calling for all parties to vote down the TPP and to stand with Australians.
Please help protect the Limestone Coast from gas fracking by signing the petition letter to the Premier.
Dear Premier,
The South East of South Australia (Limestone Coast) is known for its world famous clean and green produce, including wine, beef, lamb, vegetables, fruit, and crops. Tourism plays an important role, with the UNESCO listed Naracoorte Caves Park, RAMSAR listed Bool Lagoon and Piccaninnie Ponds, the wine trails, beautiful coastal towns, the Blue Lake and other spectacular areas.
The South East makes up 2.2% of the state and contains over 40% of the state’s prime agricultural land. Over $1 billion in food, wine and fibre is produced annually. With significant exports, it is of paramount importance that our ‘clean and green’ image is not compromised by proposed unconventional/conventional gas and mineral mining, which threatens our groundwater, agricultural land productivity and tourism.
We live in the driest state in the driest inhabited continent in the world. The Government released a document “Conserving Nature 2012 – 2020”. ‘Drought conditions are likely to increase in frequency across many parts of South Australia, as a consequence of climate change, particularly in agricultural areas’… Our water is already under severe stress as prolonged dry periods persist in Southern Australia. Our industries and communities are reliant on underground water.
Fracking for shale and tight gas is an extremely water-intensive practice. It requires vast amounts of water and large amounts of chemicals in each fracking operation. Disposal of wastewater from shale and tight gas operations is a serious problem. Shale and tight gas operations can have severe consequences for human and animal health.
The South East’s thin layer of prime agricultural land sits over limestone, which is porous and brittle. The limestone is prone to subsidence and is exacerbated by mining, drilling and fracking. Decline in water levels (such as use for fracking and mining) increase the risk of seawater intrusion.… Read more >>
Friends of the Earth Adelaide welcome the initiative shown by FOE Melbourne with their ranking of parties and candidates on trade related issues, especially the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Media release June 17, 2016
Parties and candidates rated on trade issues
Today the TPP Unions and Community Roundtable Coalition, of which Friends of the Earth is a founding member, has released a Federal Election 2016 TPP Scorecard ranking all currently elected parties’ and independents’ stance on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).
In order to accurately score the parties and politicians on their commitment to disabling the TPP, the Roundtable asked two questions:
If elected, will you:
1: Vote against the enabling legislation for the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
2: Introduce or support legislation to ban ISDS in all trade agreements?
So far the TPP Union and Community Roundtable has received responses from the ALP, the Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team, Glenn Lazarus and Andrew Wilkie. As evidenced by their ticks on the scorecards, the Greens, Xenophon, Lazarus and Wilkie all responded with an unambiguous “Yes” to both questions.
However, the response from the ALP demonstrated an alarming vagueness, stating that Under Australia’s treaty-making arrangements the Parliament must examine trade agreements. The review of the TPP by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) was not concluded at the time Mr Turnbull caused the dissolution of the Parliament. The TPP will be examined by JSCOT in the next Parliament whoever forms government – that’s how our treaty system works; and that A Shorten Labor Government will not agree to Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions in new trade agreements. A Labor Government will seek to remove these provisions from existing trade agreements and work to ensure ISDS provisions do not prevent governments from pursuing legitimate public policy goals.
Friends of the Earth TPP and trade spokesperson Kat Moore said “time and again, the major parties have bluffed their way through questions regarding the TPP, committing to nothing, whilst meanwhile our sovereignty is being eroded, and our environment, health, jobs and basic freedoms put at risk.… Read more >>