Traditional Land Owners Reject Dump Planned for Kimba

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Residents from the South Australian towns of Kimba and Hawker are preparing to vote on 20 August as to whether they want a federal nuclear waste storage facility to be built in their district. The proposed nuclear waste storage facility is planned to permanently hold low-level nuclear waste and temporarily hold intermediate-level nuclear waste. 

However, the Barngarla People, the traditional owners for most of the Eyre Peninsula, applied on Tuesday 15 August for an urgent Supreme Court injunction to halt the 20 August Kimba vote. The Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation are arguing that native-title holders living outside the Kimba District Council Boundaries should also be entitled to vote. They further argue that by not allowing traditional owners a say, it breaches the Racial Discrimination Act and will be pursuing a court hearing this week. The Barnglara Native Title Claim is the most recent claim to come into effect in South Australia (23 June, 2018).

Along with the promise of new jobs, the Federal government has also offered a total of $31 million worth of incentives for the community that chooses to host the storage facility. This offer has more than tripled since its first conception in November, 2015.

The Uniting Church in Australia recently held the 15th Triennial Assembly meeting in Melbourne. Recognition was given to the sovereignty of First Peoples (in which sovereignty is defined as the spiritual connection of the First Peoples to the land, rather than an understanding of legal ownership).

At a state level, the Uniting Church in South Australia has taken a strong stance on the establishment of nuclear waste facilities in the past by standing in covenantal solidarity with the UAICC on the issue of nuclear waste repositories in South Australia.

At the November 2017 Presbytery and Synod meeting, members passed a proposal asking the Presbytery and Synod to call on the SA Labor Government to enforce the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000 to prevent a nuclear waste dump being established in South Australia.

Members of the Uniting Church are encouraged to learn more about nuclear waste, its management and the most recent government proposals. There are many opportunities to seek information, ask questions and show support and solidarity around this issue which affects First Peoples of South Australia.


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Comments

Comments (3)

  1. Gordon Woods 16 august 2018, 09:27(Comment was edited) Link
    We cannot continue to use nuclear material for any purposes, medical, industrial or other without being responsible for storing waste safely & securely. There are geologically safe places to store such waste (residual) in our vast land, far removed from agricultural or residential activities but it seems that nothing will ever satisfy the opponents. (NIMBY)