BROKEN HILL ELECTORATE PROPOSED NUCLEAR WASTE FACILITY
Mr BECKROGE: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Corrective Services, and Minister for Emergency Services, in his capacity as Acting Minister for the Environment. What is the Government doing about Commonwealth plans to site a nuclear waste dump near Broken Hill?
Mr DEBUS: I thank the honourable member for Broken Hill for his question and for his concern for people living in rural areas all over the State. Today I can reveal plans by the Commonwealth to establish a national nuclear waste dump at Broken Hill. The National Resource and Information Centre initiated a study to select a national radioactive waste dump. The study identified eight regions suitable for the establishment of what it described as "a near surface radioactive waste repository". One of these regions includes New South Wales territory - the Olary region, which extends west from Broken Hill to the north-east corner of South Australia.
The former coalition Government was party to the national program to identify and select a site for a new radioactive waste dump in Australia. In fact, the honourable member for Gosford effectively gave the green light to such a proposal when he was environment Minister. He told the Commonwealth that in the event of a New South Wales site being found, the coalition Government would examine any proposal within the requirements of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. It is interesting that the Howard Government has revived this process. Yesterday the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Mr McGauran, announced plans to accelerate the search for a suitable site for a national radioactive waste repository. At the same time the Howard Government fails to deny its plan to abolish the Commonwealth Environment Protection Authority. That can only be the sign of a hasty decision-making process, cutting corners and compromising environmental controls.
I am advised by the State Environment Protection Authority that depending on final location of the dump, transport of radioactive waste could occur on any major road or rail system within New South Wales. No doubt major environmental risks will be involved. Already the Commonwealth has exempted itself from all New South Wales environment laws. This week's transportation of spent nuclear fuel rods from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation occurred without the State Environment Protection Authority being able to regulate its passage. In the event of an accident, New South Wales cannot prosecute the Commonwealth.
The State Government is not prepared to have nuclear waste travelling larger distances over New South Wales; it significantly increases the risk associated with its haulage - imagine weapons-grade nuclear waste from ANSTO being taken by road from Lucas Heights through western Sydney, along the winding roads of the Blue Mountains, through the major cities of Bathurst and Orange, and finally to Broken Hill. The recent derailment of a national rail freight train near Condobolin only serves to emphasise the risks involved. For these reasons New South Wales will withdraw from any nuclear waste site selection process that includes consideration of Broken Hill.
If the Commonwealth proceeds with its plan to turn Broken Hill into the nuclear waste dumping ground of Australia, New South Wales will withdraw all forms of assistance with the transportation of nuclear waste. The Minister for Police has today agreed that it would be entirely inappropriate for the Police Service to monitor any such transportation. New South Wales Fire Brigades and the Environment Protection Authority, which are under my control, would not be involved in any transfer process. If the Commonwealth so desperately wants a nuclear waste dump, it can police its own transportations. This Government will not be party to any such plan and will vigorously oppose it.
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