On this Radioactive Show we look at the ongoing role and important contributions of the Maritime Union of Australia in the nuclear and peace campaigns in this country.  We’ll hear from Jamie Newlyn, the state secretary of the MUA’s South Australian Branch as well as from Nat Wasley, who has been active in the nuclear free movement in Australia for many years and is now also an active rank and file member of the MUA in Sydney.

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http://www.mua.org.au/the_warrains_our_mua

South Australian ALP Policy

Adopted at the SA ALP State Conference Saturday 13 October 2018

Motion 148: MUA/CEPU/NUW/RTBU/CFMEU/AMIEU/HSU

No Nuclear Waste Dump in South Australia

State Convention acknowledges that radioactive waste management is a complex policy challenge that requires the highest level of transparency and evidence and that the current federal approach to site a national waste facility in regional South Australia is strongly contested.

Supports Traditional Owners and community members in the Flinders Ranges and Kimba regions of South Australia in their current struggle to prevent a nuclear waste facility being constructed in their region.

• Calls for full transparency, broad public input and best practice technical and consultative standards during the current site nomination and selection process.

• Expresses concern at the federal government's continuing focus on finding a single remote site for radioactive waste to be disposed (low level) and stored (intermediate level) to the exclusion of all other waste management options.

• Reaffirms its support for the civil society call for the extended interim storage of federal wastes at federal sites pending a broad independent inquiry that examines all options for future responsible radioactive waste, transport and storage and management.

• Commits to support communities opposing the nomination of their lands or region for a dump site, and any workers who refuse to facilitate the construction and operation or transport and handling of radioactive waste material destined for any contested facility or sites including South Australian Port communities.

Federal ALP policy

Adopted at National Conference, December 2018

154. Labor will:

• Vigorously and totally oppose the ocean dumping of radioactive waste; · Prohibit the establishment of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in Australia;  

• Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste that is sourced from overseas in Australia.

155. Labor acknowledges that radioactive waste management is a complex policy challenge that requires the highest levels of transparency and evidence, while balancing the need of the community to benefit from treatments for diseases like cancer. Accordingly, Labor will act in accordance with scientific evidence, and with full transparency, broad public input and best practice technical and consultative standards, taking into account the views of traditional owners, to progress responsible radioactive waste management