Aboriginal Way Issue 63, Winter 2016 A publication of South Australian Native Title Services NAIDOC Week Jack Buckskin performing at NAIDOC ceremony. Full story and more photos on page 11. Photo: Clark Rodda at Festival Photo. Inside: APY Land Rights Act changes 6 Recognition or Treaty – is there an either/or choice? 8 Reconciliation Day 14 National Sorry Day 22 State Government seeks social and community consent for new nuclear waste site The South Australian Government is currently looking to set up a nuclear waste storage facility in the state. The facility would receive and store used nuclear fuel and intermediate level waste from overseas. The state nuclear waste site would be in addition to a new Federal Government nuclear waste site, which has been proposed for Barnidoota north of Port Augusta, situated on Adnyamathanha land. The South Australian Government dump was recommended by the final report of the Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle which was released in May 2016. The report rejected the idea of further mining or processing of uranium, or nuclear power generation, but said that a waste facility could generate Above left: Khatija Thomas. Above right: SANTS CEO Keith Thomas. considerable income for the state. landowners to launch an alliance to The Government has also established a the work of CARA, the Nuclear Fuel Cycle protest the two dumps. new unit within the Department of Royal Commission Consultation and Social consent Premier and Cabinet – the Nuclear Fuel Response Advisory Board. The No Dump Alliance says on its Cycle Royal Commission Consultation means that there website that “South Australia is a proud Mr Parry Agius is a member of and Response Agency (CARA), which needs to be sufficient state rich in possibilities, clever people, that Board, he was selected for his will “aid community understanding culture, creativity and breathtaking commitment to effective consultation broad public support of the Royal Commission’s report and nature. We believe we can achieve so with Aboriginal people and after giving facilitate the community consultation”. for the general concept much more than become the dumping advice to the the Royal Commission of storing international ground for the world’s radioactive waste”. It has also created a Board to oversee during its enquiry. used nuclear fuel in The Government is seeking social consent for its new nuclear project What the state would need to store international South Australia. through community consultation for the remainder of 2016. Social consent means used nuclear fuel There is a group of native title holders that there needs to be sufficient broad • A purpose-built port for receiving the used fuel. strongly opposing this initiative. public support for the general concept • An interim storage facility, for storage of used fuel while building Tauto Sansbury, Narungga Elder of storing international used nuclear long term storage. and Chairperson of Aboriginal Congress fuel in South Australia. • A long term deep geological storage facility. spoke publicly shortly following the The Government says it would also release of the Commission’s final report. seek local community consent to • Rail transport between interim and deep geological storage. host a facility once a location or “This news is devastating to our • Other infrastructure, including airports and security. people because we don’t believe we locations has been identified. The Royal Commission report says that “in the were listened to – we spoke but the How the long term geological storage facility Commission didn’t hear,” he said. event that this involves regional, remote and Aboriginal communities, consent would work “The Congress has voted unanimously to processes must account for their • A series of barriers are built to store the used fuel in until its radio toxicity oppose a nuclear waste dump for South particular values and concerns”. Australia. We do not want to become the has reduced. international dumping ground for the rest • The used fuel is stored firstly within canisters. of the world’s problems.” “The question would • The life of the canisters is expected to be around 10,000 years. Karina Lester, Chairperson of be how do we manage • The material the canisters is made from depends on the location. Yankunytjatjara Native Title Aboriginal the present and the In Finland there’s an iron canister encompassed with five centimetres Corporation said that Aboriginal people past at the same of copper, which is welded to be watertight and gas tight. are very concerned about the proposal, particularly as she believes it is likely a time and what are the • The canisters are encompassed in a hole in bentonite clay. nuclear dump would be placed north of enlightening tools that • The clay prevents water seepage in to corrode the canister. Port Augusta on Aboriginal Land. are actually going to • The clay also stops the movement of any remaining radio toxicity She said that Anangu people have once the canisters fail at around 10,000 years. consistently opposed a nuclear make that connect…” waste dump on their land. • By around 100,000 years, the used fuel has a toxicity level of natural The SA Government has set up new uranium ore. “We’ve been very strong from the bodies to undertake community The model being considered by South Australia is based on plans by Finland, beginning, since the announcement of consultation on this nuclear waste Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Canada and the US, to store their own the Royal Commission. And that message proposal. This consultation includes nuclear waste. is ‘No nuclear waste dump in our Ngura – a Citizens Jury, plus regional and in our land’,” she said. remote community visits. Source: Mr Kevin Scarce, presenting to Joint Committee on Findings of the Nuclear Royal Commission on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Mr Sansbury and Ms Lester joined The Government has created a Joint Flinders Ranges Adnyamathanha House Select Committee to look further For more details of Mr Scarce’s explanations: Joint Committee on Findings of the woman Candace Champion and unions, at the establishment of a nuclear waste Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission at https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au community groups and traditional storage facility. 2 Aboriginal Way, Winter 2016 that, and no-one can deny that, it’s been Have your Say a number of issues that’s been raised since the Maralinga days and post The government launched a community engagement program last month for South Australians to have their say on nuclear. Maralinga, even in the 90s and 2000s The program will include discussion sessions at over 100 sites – including almost 30 Aboriginal communities it was a big issue then and now with the and 60 regional towns. report being tabled, it’s rekindled strong views about the past and brought them Madeline Richardson, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission Consultation and Response Agency (CARA) Chief Executive said to the present,” Mr Agius said. “The consultation program aims to encourage all South Australians to get involved in the conversation about our state’s future and share in the nuclear Citizens’ Jury report, which was presented to the Premier Jay Weatherill [last month]”. “The question would be how do we manage the present and the past The Citizens’ Jury of 50 randomly selected South Australians delivered its report following two weekends of deliberations at the same time and what are the at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. enlightening tools that are actually The 12-page report highlights key points the jury believes their fellow South Australians should discuss from the Nuclear Fuel going to make that connect,” he said. Cycle Royal Commission report. Mr Agius said that native title structures The Jury’s report identified that the opportunity to store high level waste from overseas would provide economic benefits, and PBCs should be incorporated into but there were also substantial risks to consider. the community consultation currently taking place. The jury focused on four key themes that they believe South Australians should discuss, including: • Community consent – and the importance of an informed opinion “Yes, when I appeared before the Commission I mentioned that existing • Economics – including the benefits and risks to the State structure as a clear and contemporary • Safety – including key issues around storage, health and transport direction that’s been taking place since native title’s come on board,” he said. • Trust – noting that accountability and transparency must be built into any regulatory systems “The point about bringing the contem- The jury’s report urges all South Australians to be part of the process. Visit the YourSAy nuclear website. porary model into this consultation process is just as important. Not He told Aboriginal Way that he will advise “Second probably is the way the everybody knows about that new the new Board on the effectiveness of information is communicated. And if those model, that new contemporary process. the state-wide consultation for Aboriginal communication tools are not appropriate, The only ones who know about it are the people in particular. then what tools will be, and what ones who have actually been intimately processes will be for that to happen. involved and even the South Australian “My job is to actually look at that community may not understand that communication, consultation process “And thirdly is the community having model. Hopefully the role I play on the and look at whether it has the ability to access to people who can actually give Board will actually bring that Traditional do what it has said it could do. That is to them information about things that they Owner model out, and then look at provide information, give the community don’t know much about. how best the government will engage the necessary access to information You know, what is the science relating to the community”.