The Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation welcomes the Northern Land Council’s announcement to withdraw the nomination for a radioactive waste dump at Muckaty in the Northern Territory.
The Mirarr people are celebrating this significant win for the Traditional Owners of Muckaty and applaud the leadership shown by the Northern Land Council in this decision.
“Common sense has prevailed,” Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation CEO Justin O’Brien said. “This decision by the Northern Land Council is clearly in the best interests of the entire community of the region and ends too many years of community conflict.
“It is heartening to see such leadership from the Land Council, placing community cohesion ahead of the legalities of the matter.”
Mr O’Brien congratulated the Traditional Owners of the Muckaty lands on their successful eight-year struggle against the waste.
The Council had negotiated the deal with the Aboriginal Ngapa clan.
But four other clans with claims on the land opposed the move, and said the government and Council had not obtained their consent.
The Council’s chief executive Joe Morrison said his organisation would now focus on reconciling families in the area, as the incident had created “great division”.
“That division and argument are the most unfortunate consequences of this whole case being brought about and its being whipped up by special interests groups, pursuing their own agendas,” he told Australia’s ABC.
via BBC News Asia
◇ Former Japanese prime minister visits Mirarr Country to discuss shared nuclear concerns
◇ Muckaty manager will support second nuclear nomination
◇ Nuclear waste dump on Aboriginal land invalid, court told
◇ NT waste dump will “poison” land
◇ Northern Territory Nuclear Waste Dump ‘Contravenes UN Declaration’
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