Community Affairs Friday 3 June 2011

CHAIR: We have a number of senators who wish to ask questions. Do any of you have an opening statement you want to make before we go into questions?

Mr Hill: No. I would just apologise-

CHAIR: That is okay. You cannot control the planes. I wish some of us could.

Economics Committee - 31 May 2011

Senator LUDLAM: Yes. I might stay on the subject that I was on. It is mainly around the Rum Jungle Mine. I understand that we are still spending about $1.2 million this year and $2.4 million next year on the Rum Jungle remediation up in the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory. Can you update the committee on the work that taxpayers are still funding to remediate a small mine 40 years after it closed?

Seven million dollars of taxpayers' money will be spent on finding a way to clean up Rum Jungle uranium mine 40 years after its closure, the Australian Greens revealed in Senate Estimates hearings today.

Senator Scott Ludlam said the $7million would be spent over four years just to determine how to deal with the defunct uranium mine's toxic legacy.

PERTH RALLY: 2:30 - 4:30pm WST Tuesday April 26, 2011 - Forest Place Perth

On the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Australian Greens have renewed demands for a phase-out of uranium mining and nuclear power.

Greens nuclear affairs spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, said the Chernobyl catastrophe was classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale - the same classification given to the Fukushima nuclear disaster now unfolding in Japan.

The Australian Greens will move an amendment to the national radioactive waste dump legislation, seeking consent from the Northern Territory Assembly before moving to dump radioactive waste in the Territory.

"The proposal to dump radioactive waste highlights the fact that the Northern Territory does not have the same rights to determine its own affairs as the states," Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said.

Senator LUDLAM (2.31 pm)-My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr, in his role representing the Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism. It relates to the government's proposal to dump radioactive waste at Muckaty Station, close to Tennant Creek.

Senator Chris Evans-On a point of order: the senator wants to ask a question to the Minister representing the Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism, and I understand that it is Senator Sherry.

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister representing the Minister for Resources and Energy (Senator Sherry) to questions without notice asked today.