Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence. Minister, can you confirm that the defence department has expressed strong opposition to siting a national radioactive waste storage facility within the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia? Can you confirm the department's view that siting of such a facility within the Woomera Test Range would present what is claimed to be an intolerable risk for range operations? Given that mineral exploration, mining and pastoral activities are allowed within the Woomera Test Range, can the minister provide an authoritative statement for Defence's opposition to hosting a national radioactive waste facility anywhere within the Woomera Prohibited Area?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Department of Defence is not in the habit of publicly commenting on the details of that sort of advice, and I think that is a sound approach for the department to take. If there are any aspects of Senator Patrick's question to which I am able to provide further information, then I will happily take those on notice, of course, and return to the chamber.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Patrick, a supplementary question.

Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, you're aware I supplied you with some FOI documents, Minister. Nonetheless, it's a fact that there are 10,000 drums of low-level radioactive waste from CSIRO within the Woomera Prohibited Area and 35 cubic metres of intermediate-level waste of Defence's within the target area. Defence has advised that that's an intolerable risk. Can you reconcile that, please? (Time expired)

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, it is correct to say that you did provide me with a copy of an article from the ABC of 1 August relating to the storage of CSIRO related waste and a number of FOI materials. As I understand the nature of the FOI, the material that has been released relates to the analysis that was done of Commonwealth landholdings which indicated that there was no Commonwealth land suitable for hosting the facility. But a number of the parcels included in that analysis were Defence land, as the senator has noted. This response has come from the department and relates to that analysis.

I think it is important for the chamber to be reminded that Woomera itself, the Woomera protected area, is a unique part not just of Australia but in fact of the globe and presents some very important— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Patrick, a final supplementary question.

Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I draw your attention to a study commissioned by the Howard government, a 400-page study, on where a radioactive waste facility should be sited, which makes a clear recommendation that it be sited in Woomera, at Evetts Field, near the range. Noting that, can you tell the people of Hawker and Kimba why there is nowhere within 122,000 square kilometres of the prohibited area where you can place a facility?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's not for the Minister for Defence and me, in my capacity representing him, to talk about the location of any future national radioactive waste management facility. As the senator would know, that is a matter for the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and the minister who represents her in this chamber. I was going to say in my earlier remarks that the Woomera prohibited area represents a unique part of Australia, particularly for some defence activities. I don't have any further detail to provide to the senator on that, but I'll take any other aspects of his question on notice and return to the chamber if I can provide any more information.