urg::: Katherine group to fight n-dump plans

[Len Kanaar - FoE Sydney]

ABC

Last Update: Friday, September 16, 2005. 1:29pm (AEST)
Katherine lobby group to fight nuclear dump plans

Katherine residents have formed a lobby group to fight Federal 
Government plans to build a nuclear waste facility south of the 
Northern Territory town.

A small but vocal crowd met last night.

The group argues the proposed site at Fishers Creek is inappropriate 
on environmental, social and economic grounds.

Sharon Hill, from the Katherine Catchment Landcare Group, says the 
Northern Territory should not have to bear a national responsibility.

"This is a fairly emotive situation ... I've recently had to use or 
radioactive medical equipment to assist me with an illness that I had 
and I believe I have a responsibility to at least come up with some 
solution for the storage of that waste," Ms Hill said.

"I'm into waste management as well because we've got waste management 
issues here in Katherine too but I think there has to be an 
appropriate site in Australia.

"And considering the Northern Territory's producing 1 per cent of the 
nuclear waste, how could we be totally responsible for that?"


© 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation