Since 1 January 2017 the Commonwealth Government has spent at least $9,905,737 on legal work for the nuclear waste dump and the AWRA (Australian Radioactive Waste Agency), as revealed in reply to Questions on Notice put by Senator Barbara Pocock to the Government released today.

The Greens have pledged to keep fighting against South Australia being a dumping ground for nuclear waste, despite the Morrison Government declaring Kimba on the Eyre Peninsula its chosen site today.

Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Morrison-Joyce Government has officially decided to dump radioactive waste on Kimba on SA’s Eyre Peninsula, home to some of the country’s best agricultural land.

The Greens are calling on the Labor Leader in the Senate, Penny Wong to declare where her party stands on the proposed Nuclear Waste Dump in SA, after a clear division within the Labor Party was revealed in a Senate Inquiry Report released late yesterday.

NSW Labor Senator Jenny McAllister delivered a dissenting report, independent of her Labor colleagues including SA Senator Alex Gallacher who supports the majority report that SA should be a dumping ground for nuclear waste.

The Greens strongly oppose the bill to establish a nuclear waste dump at Kimba.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator for South Australia said:

“The Senate Inquiry showed that this is a highly flawed bill. There are deep concerns that this bill blatantly seeks to prevent any right to judicial review of this process and sets in stone Kimba as the dump site against strong community opposition.”

South Australian Labor members have dumped on their home state today, backing the legislation to build a nuclear waste dump at Kimba on SA’s Eyre Peninsula, the Greens say.

SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Labor has today dumped on South Australia and backed a site selection process for a nuclear waste dump that has been dodgy from the start.

“South Australians have already said no to nuclear. Today, every South Aussie should be asking why their elected representatives from the major parties have refused to listen to them.   

The Greens have referred the legislation to build a nuclear waste dump in South Australia to a Senate Inquiry for scrutiny of the laws and the process that led to this point.

“The Coalition has decided Kimba on SA’s Eyre Peninsula, home to some of the country’s best agricultural land, is the place to dump the nation’s radioactive waste,” South Australian Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Greens have called for the process to select a nuclear waste site to be halted, and an independent, expert panel to take over, amid deep concerns about the sidelining of the community and Traditional Owners.

“Today’s revelations that Kimba is the preferred site for an expanded nuclear waste dump are deeply troubling,” Greens nuclear spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“The entire process has been badly botched from the start, with community concerns ignored and the Adnyamathanha and Barngarla people sidelined.

The Coalition Government must abandon its plans to dump nuclear waste in South Australia, not extend their consultation process, the Greens say.

“The Coalition Government will just continue extending its deadline in the hopes it will finally get the answer it wants on dumping nuclear waste in outback South Australia,” Greens nuclear spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Labor and the Liberal Government have teamed up to block a Greens motion seeking to extend the community vote on a nuclear waste dump being built in outback South Australia.

“The Liberal Government has botched its so-called consultation and community vote plans in a desperate attempt to get a run on the board. Ignoring the views of Traditional Owners in both the Barngarla and Adnyamathanha communities will be at the Government’s peril,” Greens nuclear spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens are calling on the Liberal Government to abandon its plans to build a nuclear waste dump in outback South Australia, in their dissenting report into the selection process for a nuclear waste dump Senate Inquiry tabled in Parliament.

“This inquiry has found that the Government has completely disrespected local communities in the Flinders Ranges and Kimba, failed to gain consent of traditional owners, and has no mandate to build a nuclear waste dump in South Australia,” Greens nuclear spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.