'United we can fight. We can't fight singularly. We have to band together with like-minded people to stop this destruction of our country and make sure that our country is safer for our younger generations.' — Harry Dare, chairperson, Barngala Determination Aboriginal Corporation.
There were, to quote Port Augusta's Transcontinental, 'hundreds ' of us crossing the bridge on Sunday 19 August, the 'younger generations' in the forefront. The glory of the Flinders Ranges were well in sight to our east, the international grain farming land of Kimba 158km to the southwest. The constant cry 'Not Flinders, Not Kimba, No waste dump is our call' rang out.
Among the powerful speeches that followed were Harry Dare's stirring words quoted above, as well as a spellbinding address by young Adnyamathanha woman, Candace Champion, who said: 'I do not want to bring a child into this world knowing that I'm going to leave them more burdens and heartbreak ... You can study your whole life in a classroom, but my family have studied, witnessed, watched and grown on that land for 60,000 years.'
In recent weeks there have been many developments in the federal government's plan for a national radioactive waste management 'facility'. In time for the planned vote by a tiny percentage of those who will be impacted by the site selection, the Resources Minister, visiting both regions, tripled to $31 million the amount which the federal government is offering the final site community. And instead of 15 promised jobs, there are now 45.
Paradoxes abound. The $31 million includes $3 million allocated for 'Aboriginal economic and cultural heritage' — awarded for a project which many Adnyamathanha say will destroy the Aboriginal culture of the region.
The proposed facilities design finally appeared three years into the campaign. In online form originally, the 18 new government documents, rejoicing in a 'brand new industry' for the chosen site area, were posted to each householder in time for the beginning of the proposed ballot date, which was to have been 20 August.
Catholic Religious Australia's 1 August media release raised many questions and concerns: 'Our members,' said president Sr Monica Cavanagh, 'question the sense, the expense and the risks of transporting long-lived intermediate nuclear waste from where it is temporarily housed at Lucas Heights with the nuclear experts, 1700km across the country to be temporarily stored in a regional, yet to be built, facility.' Furthermore, 'It is disturbing that it is