Traditional Owners urge new govt to abandon SA nuclear waste dump

Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation wrote to the new prime minister prompting him to withdraw plans for a nuclear dump near Kimba in South Australia.

Barngarla people have filed a legal challenge over the Federal Government's selection of a site near Kimba for a nuclear waste dump. Source: Jason Bilney/Kim Mavromatis

Traditional owners have called on the new federal Labor government to scrap plans for a nuclear waste dump in South Australia.

In December the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation launched legal action in the Federal Court to block the dump planned for Napandee, near Kimba.

It was seeking to overturn the Coalition government's decision to develop the site by quashing the declaration of former resources minister Keith Pitt.

On Wednesday the corporation wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urging him to step in.

It said the previous government had tried to silence the traditional owners at every turn, denying their right to participate in a community ballot to gauge local support for the site.

The corporation said the coalition also refused access to the land to undertake a proper heritage survey and tried to remove its right to judicial review.

"Although we appreciate all that Labor have done in opposition, the Barngarla people unequivocally make it clear that we request that the new Labor minister revoke the declaration or consent to the orders quashing the declaration," it wrote in its letter to the PM.

"We call for this to occur at the earliest opportunity possible."

Image obtained Thursday, December 23, 2021 shows aimpression of a proposed national radioactive waste storage facility at Napandee in South Australia. Source: AAP

The Barngarla said if the facility was built it would forever be located on a site where the First People did not get the right to vote.

"For these reasons we think that the government and country that you now lead needs to withdraw the declaration or consent to it being quashed," the group told Mr Albanese. 

"We see no other way. 

"These are clearly not your failings or the failings of your government. You inherited them like we did."

The Barngarla's action is due to resume in the Federal Court on June 15.

In November last year, the previous government announced it had acquired 211 hectares at Napandee with the proposed facility subject to heritage, design and technical studies.

If constructed, the site would be used to store low-level nuclear medical waste currently spread across more than 100 facilities including universities and hospital basements.

The vast majority of nuclear waste produced in Australia is associated with the production of nuclear medicine.