Senator CANAVAN (Queensland—Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) (14:31):
I will come to your question, Senator Patrick, but I will start by saying that I'm happy to repeat what I've also said at community forums that I attended in Kimba and Hawker over the last month around how we will now proceed with the consultation on the radioactive waste facility. In particular, the ballot we hope to conduct soon will be one factor we take into account in our decision-making but not the only factor, and that has always been my position and the government's position. I do not accept the characterisation you painted around the comments I made in this place last year. We have always been seeking broad community support. We certainly achieved that in the survey that was conducted in Hawker around the Wallerberdina Station last year, when support of that level was achieved. But the government is also of the view that a level of support around the 57 per cent level, which was achieved in Kimba early last year, is also indicative of quite broad community support, particularly on an issue that has been very fraught and fractious for our nation for four decades now.

I firmly believe, and the government firmly believes, that we need to find a long-term solution to store our nuclear waste, primarily produced by the world-class facility at Lucas Heights, which produces nuclear medicines that will help to improve the health of, on average, one out of every two Australians during their lifetime. We do need to find a long-term store for that. We're committed to doing that. However, we're also committed to making sure that running a grassroots program that ensures that any decision to place such a facility in a local community is a decision for that community. We will listen to their views through that process. We've been consulting extensively with those communities. The process for a ballot that we've put in place is one aspect of that consultation. We've had officials in Kimba and Hawker for the last year on a weekly basis. We have also conducted surveys with the neighbouring landowners. Obviously, their views are very important. Indigenous stakeholders are extremely important as well. All of these views will be factored into a government decision later this year. (Timeexpired)

The PRESIDENT: 
Senator Patrick, a supplementary question?

Senator CANAVAN (Queensland—Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) (14:34):
Thank you, Mr President. I maintain that the government has been incredibly up-front and open through this process. As I explained in Kimba and Hawker when I was there around a month ago, any decision that I make as the minister under the National Radioactive Waste Management Act will result in legislative changes to that act. That will, of course, come back to this parliament, so that will be an additional step of accountability and review for that decision-making process. But the government and myself—one of many ministers who's had responsibility for this act—are simply conducting our responsibilities under the legislative authority that's been given to us by the National Radioactive Waste Management Act, passed, I think, in 2012.

So we'll continue to work with the communities on this. We're very committed to doing this consultation. It's been a great privilege to work with Kimba and Hawker on this, and I look forward to seeing the results of a ballot, hopefully, soon.

The PRESIDENT: 
Senator Patrick, a final supplementary question.

Senator CANAVAN (Queensland — Minister for Resources and Northern Australia ) ( 14:36 ): 
I take this decision and this process extremely seriously. As I said, it does relate to the production of life-saving medicines for our country. Obviously, the management of the waste associated with that production is incredibly important. We do a very good job at doing that today but, clearly, we have to make decisions soon, given the capacity constraints at Lucas Heights, about future waste production.

The Bungala people, who Senator Patrick referred to, have initiated action in the Supreme Court of South Australia in relation to the process. I'm not going to comment in detail about something that's before a court, but, suffice to say that I and my department are working constructively with the Bungala people through a conciliation process at the moment. I would hope that we can reach an agreement on a future consultation process, because I'm very committed to working with these local communities to get the best decision for them and for our national interest as well.