National Radioactive Waste Management Facility: Last chance for communities to have their say

We encourage interested people who haven’t done so already, to have their say on the proposed National Radioactive Waste Management Facility.
Media release

The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science is encouraging interested people who haven’t done so already, to have their say on the proposed National Radioactive Waste Management Facility.

The department is currently consulting with two South Australian communities who live near three potential sites volunteered by landowners – two near Kimba and one near Hawker.

The facility would bring 45 jobs and be delivered alongside a $31 million community package to the selected host community. The jobs and funding can’t be delivered in any of the locations unless the local community broadly supports the facility.

The ballot for people living near Wallerberdina Station closes on Thursday 12 December 2019, and neighbour and business surveys are underway and will conclude by 19 December 2019. Updates to the survey guidelines are available on our website.

The Kimba ballot concluded on 7 November 2019 with 61.58 per cent of that community voting in support of hosting the facility.

The results of these ballots and surveys, together with public submissions and feedback received elsewhere (including in our community drop-in centres), will be given to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia to assist him in deciding whether the facility can be established at one of the potential sites.

Sam Chard, the General Manager of the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility Taskforce, said now is the time to have your say.

“We encourage people who live near Wallerberdina Station to have their say in the ballot, neighbour and business surveys, and everyone else who’s interested to make a submission,” Ms Chard said.

“We want as much feedback as possible from people both for and against the proposal, which will inform the decision as to whether the facility can proceed at any of the three sites.”

Read more

For more information on the project, visit our webpage on managing radioactive waste.

Media contact

Phone Phil McCall: 0438 619 987