Federal Resources Minister Josh Fryden-burg last week released a shortlist of six sites around Australia to pot-entially host the dump.

Also on the list were Cortlinye, Pinkawillinie and Barndioota (South Australia), Hale (North-ern Territory)  and Oman Ama (Queensland). Communities have been given 120 days to lodge feedback on the plan.

Angry residents from Sallys Flat, Hill End and Turondale have condemned Calare MP John Cobb’s tacit approval of the proposal and Mr Baird now has risked the ire of local communities by refusing to give an equivocal response to a question from the Greens’ Balmain MP Jeremy Parker in parliament this week.

Mr Parker asked the premier: “Does the Government support the shortlisting of the site near Hill End in central western NSW as a location for the national radioactive waste facility that will house low and long-lived intermediate level waste, including spent reprocessed nucl-ear fuel?”

But if he was hoping for a clear “yes” or “no” in reply, Mr Parker would have been disappointed.

Instead, Mr Baird went over the process that led to Sallys Flat being shortlisted, including the questionable claim that the federal government “has done a lot of consultation already”.

“It has been a long and exhaustive process,” Mr Baird said.

When pushed again by Mr Parker to state the government’s position on the proposed site, Mr Baird  launched an attack on the Labor Opposition.

“Whether it is about radioactive waste management or any other issue, the Opposition has dialled itself out of any opportunity to play a constructive role because it is more interested in playing politics than in substantive issues,” he said.

When urged again to answer the question, Mr Baird said: “It is important for the community to have their say about this issue. The Federal Government has said that it will listen to all the affected communities, and that is appropriate.“

The full transcript of the exchange is available at http://bit.ly/1X1Rm3V.