Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Resources and Energy, Senator Carr. When is the government intending to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005—an Australian Labor Party election promise, a commitment made in chapter 5 of the ALP national platform 2007 and a commitment made in an unequivocal press release exactly one year ago this week by Senator Carr when in opposition?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ludlam, I will ask you to repeat the question because it was not able to be heard by me, up here, because of the noise on my left.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I would be delighted to repeat the question. When is the government intending to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005—an Australian Labor Party election promise, a commitment made in chapter 5 of the ALP national platform 2007 and a commitment made in an unequivocal press release exactly one year ago this week by Senator Carr when in opposition?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ludlam for his question, and I thank him for providing advance notice. It is quite clear that the Greens are asking serious questions on these matters, and are seeking serious answers—unlike those opposite. Let me say, straight up, that the government will honour the promise it gave in September last year. Minister Ferguson has advised that we will repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005. We will base future decisions about waste management on solid, agreed science and we will not be making decisions without proper consultations with state and territory governments and local communities. The government will not be taking piecemeal steps or making ad hoc decisions on radioactive waste management. We want a total package to solve this problem once and for all.

That is what Minister Ferguson is working on. The need for a national radioactive waste repository is clear, and it has been since another colleague of mine, Mr Crean, started working on this project in the early 1990s. Radioactive waste is already stored at over 100 different locations around Australia: in government stores, in universities, in hospitals and in factories.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What, I take it you would like to continue storing waste—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr, address your comments through the chair.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in filing cabinets, as is the current situation. It has been stored—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please resume your seat, Senator Carr. I will wait for order to be restored. Senator Carr.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nuclear waste is of course stored at Mount Walton East in Western Australia and at Esk in Queensland. It is stored at Woomera in South Australia and at Lucas Heights in New South Wales. It is stored at Defence and at CSIRO facilities around the country. It is stored right here in the heart of Canberra at the Australian National University. It includes everything from contaminated rubber gloves and discarded smoke detectors to by-products of nuclear medicine. This is Australia’s waste and it is up to us to actually do something about it. Just about everyone in this chamber seems to agree on that principle. I remind the Senate that it was the shadow minister for resources and energy, Senator Johnston, who recently pointed out: ‘I’m not going to make a political issue out of it.’ He said, ‘I think it’s in the national interest to have a repository for this, these low-level radioactive isotopes,’ and he said, ‘Let’s get on with it.’ He made that point as recently as 9 June.

Senator Ludlam himself has written on his GreensBlog:

What is urgently needed is a properly deliberative process about what to do with this material …

…            …            …

Perhaps in the light of reasoned debate we will find that the best option is long-distance shipping to a remote site. But Australia needs to have that conversation.

The government do agree that deliberation is essential and that consultation is essential, and we believe that a detailed scientific analysis is essential. We do not believe in imposing solutions by ministerial dictate. The government have to finalise our own legislation before we can repeal the existing act. The legislation will acknowledge Australia’s responsibility for its own radioactive waste. It will provide for the storage of waste under proper supervision and with appropriate safeguards. It will deliver a practical, long-term solution to a problem that has been with us for decades. I hope—I trust—that all senators will support that legislation when it comes before the chamber.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind senators on my left that Senator Ludlam has the call. It is not your question.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would just draw the minister’s attention to the first word of my question, which was ‘when’. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister confirm that, on repeal of this act—

Opposition Senators:

Turn up the microphone.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the Muckaty site outside of Tennant Creek—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please resume your seat, Senator Ludlam. You are entitled to be heard in silence. Those on my left should not interject; it serves no purpose in assisting Senator Ludlam to ask his question. Senator Ludlam.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So I ask you, Minister, through the President: when will the government repeal this legislation; and, when that occurs, will the Muckaty site outside Tennant Creek also no longer have legal status and be repealed in accordance with the April 2008 resolution of the Northern Territory Labor Party conference? Will the ALP Commonwealth government respect the rights and jurisdiction of the Northern Territory government?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For Senator Ludlam I would point out that the government is entitled to actually hear the question if you are seeking an answer. What I will repeat is that the government has yet to finalise its own legislation and it cannot finalise it before it repeals the existing legislation. In regard to Muckaty Station I might draw your attention to the fact that Indigenous communities have been closely involved in the process of site selection—and Indigenous communities hold a range of views on the issues, of course, just as non-Indigenous Australians do. On 11 June this year the Northern Land Council said:

“Traditional owners … know how important it is for Australia to find an environmentally acceptable site, by agreement, so all Australians can continue to receive benefits such as medical treatment from nuclear medicine.”

It went on to say that the traditional owners expressed ‘overwhelming support for the nomination of their country’ for this proposal— (Time expired)