Federal Government still looking at High and Medium Level Nuke Dump?Environment Minister John Hill says information discovered under a Federal Freedom of Information search shows the Federal Government may still be keeping its options open about establishing a high and medium level nuclear waste dump in the outback of Australia."This was revealed in FOI documents obtained on behalf of the State Government which shows the Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources, under its Minister Nick Minchin, engaged researchers to conduct polling in SA and Australia-wide to gauge community attitudes to the Pangea Resources's proposal for a high level nuclear dump. "It is well known that Pangea wants to establish a high level radioactive waste dump in Australia and import tens of thousands of tonnes of toxic nuclear waste a year from around the world."Polling was conducted in December 1999, June 2000 and again in February 2001 by McGregor Tan Research which asked questions about community attitudes to the low, medium and Pangea radioactive waste dump in our outback. "The polling, according to McGregor Tan, "aims to provide important input into shaping and refining the communications strategy" for the Department's Radioactive Waste Management Section. "It says: "The desired end product is to develop an integrated, national communications approach that appropriately addresses community concerns related to nuclear issue and thereby provides… an effective means of informing and influencing the public debate." "This was done despite the fact that in February 1999, Nick Minchin categorically ruled out ever changing the Federal Government's policy on banning the importation of high level nuclear waste into Australia. "If the Pangea proposal was dead and buried in 1999 - why was the Federal Government still wanting to track community opinions two years later? This raises serious questions about Senator Minchin's similarly categorical assurances that the Federal Government would never place a medium level radioactive waste dump in South Australia." Mr Hill says the FOI documents also reveal that the Federal Government engaged local PR firm Michels Warren at a total cost of more than $320 000 for several months over 1999/2000 and again for two months in 2003, to change South Australian's attitudes to the low level radioactive waste dump. "Polling obtained by Michels Warren showed South Australians were overwhelmingly opposed to the waste dump. Michels Warren was engaged by the Federal Government to turn that opposition around - and "soften" our attitudes to the dump. "The PR company won the second contract on the basis that it had a good working knowledge of the issue, having "played a major role in countering the "I'm with Ivy Campaign" orchestrated by Channel 7," The 'I'm with Ivy' campaign opposed the low level nuclear waste dump proposal. "According to our information, Michels Warren set about changing community attitudes through a letters to the editor campaign, talk back radio, and even mini-scare campaigns. "According to the documents, one letter to the editor cost Federal taxpayers $160, one letter to a constituent cost $225 and scheduling talk back radio interviews was $240. "On one occasion that we know of a Michels Warren consultant personally voted '4 or 5 times' on an ABC internet poll about the dump. "Documents show the PR company had concerns about Adelaide's media being opposed to the radioactive waste dump proposal and suggested that if the editor of The Advertiser couldn't be convinced to report the issue in a "balanced" way, "the issue should be taken to higher levels of News Ltd". "Documents also includes an admission from Michels Warren that 'The National Repository could never be sold as good news to South Australians. There appear few, if any, tangible benefits such as jobs, investment or improved infrastructure. Its merits to South Australians are at the most intangible.' News Release John Hill SA Minister for Environment and Conservation Wednesday, 5 May 2004 Back to No Nuclear Dump News |