Residents living near the site of a proposed nuclear waste dump in Sallys Flat will meet with representatives of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science tomorrow to ask questions and voice their concerns.
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Sallys Flat has been shortlisted as one of six sites across Australia suitable for a national permanent radioactive waste facility.
The residents of Hill End and Sallys Flat strongly oppose the proposal to bring medical and intermediate level nuclear waste to the area.
Community spokesperson Nick Harvey said the visiting departmental representatives yesterday toured the property which has been volunteered for use by a local landowner. Today they will meet with his immediate neighbours to hear their concerns.
“You’d think they would have inspected the property before shortlisting it,” Mr Harvey said.
The community meeting with the government representatives will take place at 10am tomorrow (Thursday) at the Royal Hall in Hill End, and all are encouraged to attend.
Mr Harvey said if nuclear waste is dumped at Sally Flat it will also affect people in neighbouring cities like Bathurst, Orange and Mudgee, therefore all interested parties from across the Central West will be warmly welcomed at the meeting.
“We have advertised it far and wide so we should get a good turn-out,” Mr Harvey said.
“We want to let them know the community is opposed to a nuclear waste site.”
Central West Greens spokesperson and former Bathurst deputy mayor Tracey Carpenter said placing a nuclear waste dump near Hill End would not only have a terrible impact on the community, but on local business including agriculture and tourism.
“It would be a disastrous thing for a region like Hill End,” Ms Carpenter said. “All that nuclear waste will be trucked into the region and concentrated on the roads of three major centres leading to Hill End.
“Also there is the stigma of becoming a nuclear waste dump which would taint the whole region.”
Ms Carpenter said it was critical the people of the Central West made as much noise as possible in opposition to the nuclear dump.
She said one thing people can do is sign the petition and like the Facebook page No Central West Nuclear Waste Dump.
“I haven’t heard of anyone who wants it apart from the local member,” Ms Carpenter said.