Two Kimba landowners submit voluntary applications to host a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility

THE Australian Government has received two new voluntary nominations to host a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility from landowners in the Kimba region in South Australia.

The facility would hold Australian low and intermediate level waste largely associated with nuclear medicine production.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Senator Matt Canavan said no decision had been made as to whether the nominations will be accepted.

Under the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012, a landowner may nominate land to host this facility until a final site is decided upon by the Australian Government.

Both new sites will be subject to a comprehensive analysis, including scoring them on measures such as technical suitability, community wellbeing, health, safety, and the environment.

Details of the site selection process are available at www.radioactivewaste.gov.au/site-selection-process/assessing-site, and details of nomination guidelines and multi-criteria analysis are at www.radioactivewaste.gov.au/site-selection-process/nominating-site.

“The Government has always said it remains open to receiving new land nominations, and that each would be assessed on the individual merits of the site,” Minister Canavan said.

The two new nominations relate to different parcels of land than those that were assessed, but not progressed, in the Kimba region in 2016.

“I have asked my department to begin reviewing the new nominations, and advise as to whether either should be progressed further and shortlisted,” Minister Canavan said.

“If that is the case, and I progress a nomination, public consultation of no less than 60 days would begin to determine if broad community support exists to take this nomination to a further, second phase of detailed technical review and consultation.”

The second-phase assessment of a nominated site at Barndioota is continuing and includes an Independent Heritage Assessment, site-specific technical studies and detailed public consultation.

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