Melbourne Radio-active vigil continues

Media Release: Tuesday 20 November

Radio - active vigil continues

Highlighting the dangerous nature of the federal government plans to impose a nuclear dump in the Northern Territory, community activists locked to a one tonne barrel of “nuclear waste” have maintained a presence at the front doors of the Liberal Party office in Melbourne for the past 24 hours.

The vigil started yesterday as part of a National Day of Action by environmental and community activists concerned about the Coalition’s continued refusal to disclose its nuclear agenda to the Australian community ahead of the federal election.

“The Coalition government has failed to consult or convince the community over its plan for radioactive waste,” said Friends of the Earth (FoE) nuclear campaigner Michaela Stubbs.

"Before the last election the Coalition promised the NT that nuclear waste would not be headed their way - they broke that promise and now they are pushing ahead with “out of sight – out of mind” plans for a nuclear waste dump in the NT. They promised Australia that we will not become an international dumping ground for nuclear waste but now they have signed us up to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership that would see Australia selling uranium and taking back the waste at the end of the toxic nuclear chain.

The Coalition is trying to keep nuclear issues out of the public eye ahead of the election but they now need to come clean on the details of this dirty plan ahead of the election. ,” said Ms Stubbs.

The controversial radioactive waste dump plan is facing growing opposition in the NT and along the proposed transport routes. Federal Labor has committed to halt the plan.

“There is no agreed or credible long term solution for the management of radioactive waste,” said Claire McCall from the Australian Student Environment Network “The Coalition’s plan is a secretive and dangerous nuclear experiment that poses a long term risk to people and the environment.”

Note: Detailed information on the political parties stand on nuclear issues and a rating of their performance is available via www.votenuclearfree.net

Photo Opportunity: Radio- active vigil at the Liberal Party State Office, 104 Exhibition Street, Melbourne.

© Scoop Media