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Monday, 27 February 2012
Page: 748

Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (12:05): I regard the responses to Senator Rhiannon's questions as just as important as the responses to yours, Senator Ludlam, but I am happy to focus on yours.

In the first question, you were seeking information about where radioactive waste was currently being stored, because of the government's argument that there are a number of depositories currently being used. The answer is that it is estimated that there are over 100 locations around Australia that store low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. They include government stores, industrial facilities, universities and research establishments. Of course, every significant hospital and university in Australia has some radioactive waste in storage.

I gather that the best point of reference for this is Australia's fourth national report to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. As you know, states are currently responsible for managing their own inventories, and whether or not they choose to close sites when the national waste facility is established will be a decision for them. As you know, some have already established centralised waste management, like in Western Australia at the Mount Walton waste disposal facility. We think it is likely that many of those inventories will be relocated but, as I said, decisions about that will be up to those responsible for the facilities. I think that is the main question you were seeking an answer to. You also asked a question about alternative sites. The answer is that the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 currently allows the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory or a land council to volunteer sites. The nomination of the site at Muckaty Station is the only nomination that has been made under the act; no other nominations have been submitted to the department. None of the informal approaches have been pursued by the government. Once this bill is passed—if it is passed—the minister will only consider sites volunteered by landowners under the protections and legal framework afforded by the legislation. I think that covers the key questions you asked of us. Many of Senator Rhiannon's questions go to some of those issues to do with historical reports. I will also make sure that that is delivered to her office if she is going to join us later.