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PRESS STATEMENT by the Minister for National Development

DISPOSAL OF RADIATION CONTAMINATION - HUNTERS HILL

The Minister for National Development, Mr. Kevin Newman, today announced the terms of  the Commonwealth Government's decision to assist  the New South Wales Government in resolving the  problem faced by that Government in disposing  of radiation contamination located beneath

several residential houses at Hunters Hill. The  radiation emanates from radioactive tailings deposited  on five residential properties following radium  extraction processing operations early this century.

Mr. Newman said that the Commonwealth  Government was prepared to share with the New  South Wales Government the costs of transportation,  storage and final disposal of the contaminated  material, but did not see it as appropriate for

the Commonwealth to contribute either to the cost  of acquisition of the two properties to be  demolished, or the rehabilitation of the site.

The Minister said that he had proposed to  the New South Wales Minister for Health that  officers of the New South Wales Health Commission  consult with officers of the Australian Atomic

Energy Commission with a view to bringing forward  agreed recommendations jointly to both Governments  on a suitable site and method of disposal of the  contaminated material from Hunters Hill.

The decision to share the costs of disposing  of radiation contamination arising from the  particular circumstances at the Hunters Hill site  did not imply, the Minister said, any general

acceptance of responsibility by the Commonwealth  for the disposal of radiation contamination from  any other site nor did it mean that the Commonwealth  had accepted responsibility for the development  of a national nuclear waste dump as suggested

in some press reports.

CANBERRA

28 June, 1978

