New money is being invested in a proposed radioactive waste disposal facility in South Australia.
The Federal Government is considering three potential locations for a new nuclear waste dump to safely house low-level radioactive material.
Multiple locations proposed
The facility could be based at either the Kimba region on the Eyre Peninsula or Wallerberdina Station near Hawker in the Flinders Ranges. The government has not yet revealed its preferred location.
Community ballots will be collected in each location to help decide where the project should be built.
‘”Whether individuals are for or against the facility, we’re confident the communities at the centre of the process are well-informed,” National Radioactive Waste Management Taskforce general manager Sam Chard said according to the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
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$4M funding secured
At the moment radioactive waste from nuclear medicine is scattered across more than 100 national locations. A further $4 million in federal funding is hoped to bring a single nuclear waste facility closer to fruition.
Once fully operational, the facility is expected to create 45 jobs and add more than $8 million in annual benefits to the local economy.
“We recognise that the communities have engaged in debate in good faith and we remain committed to supporting them through the site selection process,” Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan said according to AAP. “This investment will support the communities as well as deliver projects and initiatives that can further diversify the local economies.”
Legal challenge dismissed
The Federal Court recently rejected a legal challenge from the Barngarla Indigenous people, who claimed the vote was unlawful because it excludes native title owners and wanted the ballot to be postponed until at least the New Year.
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