Nobody wants to have radioactive waste stored near them.

However the reality is that we need to find somewhere to store it because nuclear technology has become an indispensable part of our lives. The application of nuclear technology in medicine is an obvious example.

But it has to go somewhere. The difficulty is coming up with a solution to the storage problem that is safe and effective.

It is quite natural that people in the Northern Territory are concerned about whether or not there is a nuclear waste facility in their territory. Just the term “radioactive waste” rings alarm bells. A number of delegations have visited my office from the Central Land Council, the Northern Territory Government and the Australian Conservation Foundation to express their concern about the proposal to put a dump in the Territory.

There is a tendency for people like me from the eastern states to think of the Northern Territory as a vast empty wilderness where there’s plenty of space for a dump. But there are people who live near the proposed sites. The traditional landowners near a couple of the possible sites left me a statement which points that out. They say that this is their home, their traditional land where they hunt and get bush tucker. They’re worried about their children. They express concern about the future for their beef and tourism businesses.

Those are valid concerns, though not the only views. I have seen a media release from the Northern Land Council which supports the storage of radioactive waste in the Territory.

Nevertheless the recommendation to store the waste in the Northern Territory has not been taken on the spur of the moment. The search for a suitable site began as far back as 1979 and studies have been undertaken into the best sites for storing waste and so on.

There have been a number of failed attempts since then to establish a suitable site.

In part this failure is due to political reasons. No state or territory wants the site.

The state governments have adopted the same position as the Northern Territory Government.

They acknowledge that a site is necessary, but not in their backyard.

The question therefore is what criteria should be used to determine an appropriate site.

I think two stand out. One is that the site must be geologically stable. The other is that it must be isolated.

As a result of the experience in South Australia, the government has a third. It must be Commonwealth land.

The result of putting these criteria together is that sites in the Northern Territory have been recommended.

An independent agency, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency is confident that a safe facility can be built under their close supervision and Senator Scullion who represents the people of the Northern Territory accepts this analysis.

While I sympathise with the people who live near the proposed sites, the waste has to be stored and if it is going to be stored on Commonwealth land and under Commonwealth jurisdiction, there is no alternative but to store it in the Northern Territory.

Consequently I will support the bill.