EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY

STATEMENT BY

THE HON, DoJ. KILLEN

MINISTER FOR DEFENCE

MARALINGA

OCTOBER 1978

IN THE 1950'S A SERIES OF NUCLEAR TESTS WERE CONDUCTED  IN THIS COUNTRY BY THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT. THE  TESTS WERE CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO A MEMORANDUM OF .   ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.

FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES MY DEPARTMENT BECAME  THE PRINCIPAL REPOSITORY FOR THE RECORDS OF THIS SUBJECT.  THIS PROCESS WAS COMPLETED IN 1974. THE MINISTER FOR  DEFENCE HAS SINCE THAT TIME BEEN MINISTERIALLY RESPONSIBLE

FOR THOSE RECORDS.

IT WOULD SEEM THAT RUMOUR, INNUENDO AND CONVENIENTLY  SELECTIVE RECOLLECTION PLACES AN OBLIGATION UPON ME EVERY  SIX MONTHS OR SO TO SEEK TO QUIETEN PUBLIC AGITATION WHICH  IS FOMENTED WITH RESPECT TO THE MARALINGA TESTS.

THE MOTIVES OF THE ACTIVISTS SEEM, AT BEST, CURIOUS.

COULD I EMPHASISE THAT THE RECORDS I AM DEALING WITH ARE  PRECISELY THE SAME RECORDS THAT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO  THE LAST SEVERAL AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS. THE RECORDS  HAVE NOT BEEN ADDED TO NOR SUBTRACTED FROM, PRECISELY THE

SAME HISTORICAL INFORMATION IS THERE AS EXISTED DURING THE  WHITLAM LABOR GOVERNMENTS, THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS FOR  KINGSFQRD-SMITH,,4/ILLS, HINDMARSH, MARIBYRNONG, CAPRICORNIA,  OXLEY, HUGHES, NEWCASTLE, BLAXLAND, GRAYNDLER AND REID

(AND SENATORS BISHOP, CAVANAGH, WHEELDON AND WRIEDT) STILL  REMAIN IN THIS PARLIAMENT, I REPEAT THAT THE INFORMATION I  DRAW UPON IS THE INFORMATION THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THEM -  NO MORE, NO LESS.

A GOVERNMENT LED BY MR WHITLAM ESTABLISHED THE AUSTRALIAN  IONISING RADIATION ADVISORY COUNCIL (AIRAC). THAT BODY  SUPERSEDED THE ATOMIC WEAPONS TEST SAFETY COMMITTEE (AWTSC),   AIRAC ENDORSED PROPOSALS CONCERNING THE MARALINGA AREA. IT

RECOMMENDED TO THE MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT OF THE DAY, THE  HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG. THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE  ACCEPTED BY THE MINISTER AND CLEARLY BY THE GOVERNMENT.

I MENTION THAT NOT IN ANY SENSE OF POLITICAL CONFLICT BUT  TO ILLUSTRATE ONE FACT. THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN COULD  SCARCELY HAVE TAKEN THE DECISION HE DID WITHOUT THE  CONSIDERATION OF ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION. THAT IS THE

CONSIDERATION OF THE RECORDS AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT  OF WHICH HE WAS A EMBER, AND TO THIS GOVERNMENT.

GOVERNMENTS AND MINISTERS CLEARLY HAVE A DUTY TO BE CONCERNED  WITH THE NATIONAL INTEREST. THERE ARE THOSE WHO SCOFF AT  THAT INTEREST BUT THEIR SCOFFING SERVES NO MORE NOBLE PURPOSE  THAN TO INDULGE A LIVELY AND VULGAR SENSE OF PERSONAL VANITY.

FOR MYSELF, AND I AM CERTAIN THAT I SPEAK FOR ALL PEOPLE OF  EASON, I CANNOT SEE THAT THE NATIONAL INTEREST IS AIDED ONE  JOT BY WILD ALLEGATIONS AND RUMOURS RELATING TO THE MARALINGA  EXPERIMENTS. .

I WILL TRY ONCE MORE TO PUT SOME OF THE MORE CONSPICUOUS OF  THESE ALLEGATIONS AND RUMOURS TO REST.

THERE IS NO UNEXPLODED NUCLEAR DEVICE BURIED AT MARALINGA,

6 B 0

INVESTIGATION HAS TURNED UP NO EVIDENCE THAT NUCLEAR WASTE

FROM POWER STATIONS IN BRITAIN - OR FROM ANY OTHER COUNTRY -  WAS BURIED ATÂ«MARALINGA, OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN AUSTRALIA.

THERE WERE NOT 800 TONNES OF NUCLEAR WASTE BURIED AT MARALINGA,  NOR ANYTHING REMOTELY APPROACHING THAT AMOUNT.

THERE IS NO EVIDENCE, NO LOGIC, NO CREDIBLE HYPOTHESIS, TO  SUPPORT AN ACCUSATION, SO DEAR TO THE IMAGINATION OF THE  FORMER DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, THAT THE BRITISH BROKE  THE MORATORIUM ON ATOMIC EXPLOSIONS IN THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE  PERIOD. 1958-61..

THE FIRST ATOMIC EXPLOSION IN AUSTRALIA OCCURRED 26 YEARS  AGO LAST WEEK, AND THE LAST OCCURRED 21 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK.  THERE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY SOME EXPERIMENTS ON RADIOACTIVE  SUBSTANCES, RELATED TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY, BUT NO

FURTHER ATOMIC EXPLOSIONS. THIS POINT HAS BEEN MADE CLEAR  MANY TIMES BEFORE, THOUGH I NOTICE EVEN TODAY THAT EDITORIAL  COMMENT IN A NEWSPAPER USUALLY NOTABLE FOR ITS ACCURACY HAS  CONFUSED THE MATTER. .

MARALINGA IS AN AREA WHICH ON ALL THE EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE SO  FAR COMPILED IS SAFE FOR MOST ORDINARY PURPOSES EXCEPTING  LONG-TERM OCCUPATION OF A FEW LOCALITIES. IT IS AN AREA

WHERE THERE WILL BE AN ONGOING TASK, WHICH THIS GOVERNMENT  IS ADDRESSING, OF LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT, BROUGHT ABOUT  PRINCIPALLY BY THE BURIALS IN THE AREA OF A TOTAL OF ABOUT  20 KILOGRAMS OF PLUTONIUM.

-  3  -

.../A

ALL OF THAT, AND MUCH MORE, HAS BEEN MADE PLAIN BEFORE,

IT IS A MATTER FOR REGRET THAT MEN WHO WERE MEMBERS OF  THE WHITLAM LABOR GOVERNMENT - AN ADMINISTRATION WHICH  PROFESSED A CLOSE INTEREST IN NUCLEAR MATTERS - MUST  REALISE THE UNTRUTH OF SOME OF THE RUMOURS AND Ã¢ÂÂ

MISINFORMATION AND FABRICATIONS THAT HAVE APPEARED ON THIS  SUBJECT, YET HAVE CHOSEN TO REMAIN SILENT. Â·

THEY HAD THREE YEARS TO APPRISE THEMSELVES OF THE FACTS, AND I DO THEM THE CREDIT OF ASSUMING THAT THEY DID.

THEY COULD HAVE MADE A USEFUL CONTRIBUTION TO RATIONAL  .DISCUSSION OF THIS SUBJECT, AND TO ALLAYING PUBLIC FEARS  AROUSED BY SILLY SENSATIONALISM IN SOME SECTIONS OF THE  MEDIA. THEY HAVE NOT DONE SO. WHY?

THEY HAVE TAKEN IT FURTHER THAN THAT. IN FEBRUARY 1977, I DISCHARGED AN UNDERTAKING I HAD MADE TO THE THEN DEPUTY  LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION TO SUPPLY INFORMATION TO HIM, I  WROTE HIM A LETTER WHICH RECAPITULATED THE SALIENT FACTS ABOUT  THE MARALINGA BURIALS - THE SAME INFORMATION THAT HAD BEEN

AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT IN WHICH HE WAS A MINISTER. I  ASKED HIS PERMISSION TO LET ME PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THE  RECORD OF THIS HOUSE,

HE WOULD NOT AGREE, .

I TRIED ABOUT EIGHT TIMES TO GET HIS PERMISSION. HE WAS  NEVER AVAILABLE. I HAD MESSAGES LEFT FOR HIM, THERE WAS  NO RESPONSE. '  .  -

I HAVE A VIEW THAT SOME WOULD PROBABLY THINK OLD-FASHIONED, BUT IT REFLECTS A VALUE WHICH I HOLD, THAT I WILL NOT RELEASE THE  TEXT OF A LETTER FROM ME WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE RECIPIENT,  I HAVE BEEN URGED BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO DISPENSE WITH THE

NICETY IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, I HAVE NOT DONE SO,

I HAVE THE LETTER HERE, MR SPEAKER, AND I ONCE AGAIN ASK THE  HONOURABLE MEMBER'S PERMISSION TO MAKE ITS CONTENTS AVAILABLE  TO THE HOUSE, IT IS NOT A POLEMICAL LETTER, IT IS A FACTUAL  STATEMENT WITH INFORMATION THAT I BELIEVE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER  SHOULD WISH TO SHARE WITH THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC,

I HAVE SOUGHT TO TREAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WITH COURTESY  AND WITH HONOUR, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO BUT I MUST TELL HIM  THAT HIS BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDE MAKE THAT A DIFFICULT TASK.

THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR REID HAS ACCUSED ME OF MISLEADING  THE PARLIAMENT, I MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO DISGUISE THE FACT THAT I  AM INTENSELY RESENTFUL OF THAT CHARGE.

I WOULD NEVER CONSCIOUSLY MISLEAD THIS HOUSE FOR I PLACE THE  GREATEST VALUE UPON FRANK AND OPEN DEALING WITH ALL THOSE WHO . SIT HERE, AND NEITHER WILL I ACCEPT THE VIEW THAT I MAY HAVE  UNCONSCIOUSLY MISLED THE HOUSE ON THIS ISSUE,

IT MAY BE TEDIUM, BUT I PROPOSE TO DEAL WITH ALL  OF THE INFORMATION I HAVE GIVEN TO THIS HOUSE ON THE  QUESTION OF THE MARALINGA TESTS.

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o e / 6

-  6  -

ON 2 DECEMBER 1976, SENATOR GIETZELT ASKED IN  THE SENATE THE FOLLOWING QUESTION s

"(1) DID THE THEN MINISTER FOR SUPPLY, MR GARLAND,  STATE ON 14 SEPTEMBER 1972, 'ALL RADIO-ACTIVE  WASTE BURIED AT THREE PLACES IN AUSTRALIA, MONTE BELLO, EMU AND MARALINGA RESULTED FROM  EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED AT THOSE PLACES',

(2) WHAT RADIO-ACTIVE MATERIAL IS BURIED THERE  AND WHAT IS THE LIFE SPAN OF SUCH MATERIAL  AND OF THE CONTAINERS IN WHICH THIS MATERIAL  WAS BURIED,

(3) HAS THE MAINTENANCE OF THIS AREA BEEN ,  BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE GOVERNMENT,

(4) WHAT PRECAUTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN THE PAST, OR ARE PROPOSED TO BE TAKEN IN THE FUTURE TO  ENSURE THAT THE RADIO-ACTIVE WASTE IS NOT  INTERFERED WITH OR EXPOSED TO THE ATMOSPHERE.

(5) WHAT MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT  THE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE  MATERIAL IS PASSED FROM GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT  AND FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION,

(6) IN VIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION ON THE  FOX INQUIRY AND THE POTENTIAL DANGER TO THE  AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE FROM THE LETHAL LEGACY OF THE  PAST, WILL THE MINISTER TREAT THESE MATTERS AS

URGENT",

,/7

I PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING ANSWER:

"THE MINISTER FOR DEFENCE HAS DIRECTED THAT AN  INQUIRY BE CONDUCTED.INTO ALL ASPECTS OF THE  MATERIAL.BURIED AT MARALINGA AS A CONSEQUENCE  OF THE TESTS CONDUCTED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF  THE MEMORANDUM OF ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN THE

UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS",

MAY I ASK WHAT IS THERE IN THAT REPLY THAT IS  MISLEADING?

ON 8 DECEMBER 1976, MR WHITLAM ASKED ME:

"(1) WHAT STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO VERIFY THE  ALLEGATIONS BY DR JOHN COULTER AND MR AVON  HUDSON ON THE RADIO PROGRAMME AM ON 2 AND  3 DECEMBER 1976 THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

HAD FLOWN RADIO-ACTIVE WASTE INCLUDING  PLUTONIUM FROM NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS IN  BRITAIN TO MARALINGA, WHERE IT WAS SECRETLY  BURIED AT NIGHT,

(2) ARE THE ASSURANCES GIVEN BY THE MINISTER FOR  SUPPLY IN RESPONSE TO THE DEPUTY LEADER OF  THE OPPOSITION ON 14 SEPTEMBER 1972 (HANSARD,  PAGES 1384 AND 1503) STILL VALID",

- 7  -

I REPLIED:

"(1) THERE HAS BEEN THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF ALL  THE RECORDS AND EVIDENCE HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM

-  8  -

AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS WHO HELD RESPONSIBLE  POSITIONS AT THE TIME, THIS INVESTIGATION  HAS TURNED UP NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER  SUPPORTING THE ALLEGATIONS THAT RADIO-ACTIVE  WASTE WAS BROUGHT FROM NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS

IN BRITAIN FOR BURIAL AT MARALINGA.

(2) THE ASSURANCE GIVEN BY MR GARLAND IN 1972  REMAINS VALID REGARDING RISK. IN ADDITION TO  DEBRIS FROM EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT IN THE  AREA, SOME SMALL QUANTITIES OF RADIO-ACTIVE  MATERIAL FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES ARE ALSO  BURIED AT MARALINGA;

a,  WASHINGS FROM BRITISH SERVICE AIRCRAFT

WHICH PARTICIPATED IN NUCLEAR TESTS AT  CHRISTMAS ISLAND IN 1957-58 AND WHICH  LATER FLEW TO EDINBURGH AIRFIELD FOR  CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE. .

b,  NUCLEAR MEDICAL WASTE FROM THE

UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE".

ON 9 DECEMBER 1976, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR  REID ASKED ME THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

"IS IT TRUE THAT, DURING THE MORATORIUM ON NUCLEAR  WEAPONS TESTING BETWEEN 1958 AND 1961, AUSTRALIA  CO-OPERATED WITH THE BRITISH IN CONDUCTING SECRET

a Â· e 79

ATOMIC "TRIGGER" TESTS AT MARALINGA AND THAT  WASTE AND DEBRIS FROM THESE TESTS WERE BURIED  AT MARALINGA? WILL THE MINISTER INSTITUTE AN  ^INQUIRY INTO THESE MATTERS? IF THIS INFORMATION

IS TRUE, WILL HE RECOMMEND THAT A ROYAL  COMMISSION BE APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO ALL  ASPECTS OF SUCH TESTS AND THE BURIAL OF NUCLEAR  WASTE AT MARALINGA"?

I REPLIED:

"I INFORM THE HONOURABLE MEMBER THAT, AS A  CONSEQUENCE OF ALLEGATIONS AMD REPORTS MADE IN  THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW DAYS, URGENT INQUIRIES  HAVE BEEN SET IN TRAIN TO ESTABLISH PRECISELY WHAT  HAS BEEN BURIED AT MARALINGA, THAT RELATES-TO  THE MAJOR POINT OF THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN'S

QUESTION, I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY EXPLOSIONS THAT  TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 195S AND 1961, I AM AWARE OF  CERTAIN TRIALS, WHICH I DISTINGUISH FROM EXPLOSIONS,

AS PRESENTLY ADVISED, THAT TOOK PLACE, THEY WERE  CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE  UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA. NEVERTHELESS, I WILL

MAKE FURTHER INQUIRIES AS MAY SEEM APPROPRIATE AND  INFORM THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE  THE LAST EXPLOSIONS THAT WERE CONDUCTED AT  MARALINGA WERE IN 1955-1956, I THINK THERE ARE  4 MEMBERS OF THIS HOUSE WHO HAVE SURVIVED THE POLITICAL  EXPLOSIONS IN THE INTERREGNUM - THE HONOURABLE LEADER

/10

/ -  10  -

OF THE OPPOSITION, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR  FREMANTLE, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR MACKELLAR  AND I, WE HAVE SURVIVED THOSE EXPLOSIONS, THE  GANG OF FOUR WERE IN ATTENDANCE - IF I CAN EXPLAIN  TO THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN - AT OPERATION

"BUFFALO",  I THINK THAT WAS THE SERIES OF TESTS, I GIVE MY FRIEND, THE DEPUTY LEADER OF THE  OPPOSITION, AN ASSURANCE THAT I WILL MAKE  APPROPRIATE INQUIRIES, RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL  SUCH TIME AS THE PARLIAMENT RESUMES, I WILL  CONVEY SUCH INFORMATION AS I GATHER TO THE

HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN". .

IS THERE ANY INFORMATION THERE RELATING TO THE  TESTS WHICH IS NOT FACTUAL? THIS IS NO OCCASION FOR  SPECULATION, THE CHARGE WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER MAKES  DEMANDS THE MOST EXPLICIT EVIDENCE, PURSUANT TO THE

UNDERTAKING I GAVE THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN I WROTE TO HIM  ON 3 FEBRUARY 1977.

ON 16 FEBRUARY 1977, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR  NORTH SYDNEY ASKED ME THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

"I ADDRESS A QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR DEFENCE. IT RELATES TO THE MINISTER'S UNDERTAKING TO PROVIDE  THE DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION WITH INFORMATION  ABOUT THE CONTAMINATED DEBRIS BURIED AT MARALINGA

IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA SUBSEQUENT TO THE ATOMIC

...711

-  11  -

TESTS THERE SOME 20 YEARS AGO. IS THE MINISTER  YET IN A POSITION TO RELEASE THIS INFORMATION? IF SO, CAN HE INFORM THE HOUSE OF THE RESULTS"?

"  I REPLIED:

"THE ANSWER IS YES. I WROTE TO THE DEPUTY LEADER  OF THE OPPOSITION ON THE THIRD OF THIS MONTH,  CONVEYING TO HIM INFORMATION CONCERNING THE  TESTS",

(MR UREN - "IT TOOK A LONG WHILE TO GET TO ME".)

"THE TRUTH WILL ULTIMATELY REACH EVEN YOU, IT IS  A MATTER OF SOME REGRET TO ME THAT ON TWO  OCCASIONS I TELEPHONED THE DEPUTY LEADER OF THE  OPPOSITION'S OFFICE ASKING FOR HIS APPROVAL TO

RELEASE THE LETTER PUBLICLY, TO NO AVAIL. IT MAY  BE AN OLD-FASHIONED VIEW, BUT I AM NOT IN THE HABIT  OF RELEASING LETTERS THAT ARE WRITTEN TO PEOPLE, MY STAFF HAS SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE

HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN'S OFFICE ON AT LEAST 8  OCCASIONS, TO NO AVAIL, IF THE DEPUTY LEADER OF  THE OPPOSITION WOULD INDICATE THAT HE IS AGREEABLE  TO MY MAKING PUBLIC THE LETTER WHICH I WROTE TO -

HIM, IT WOULD SAVE THE TIME OF THIS HOUSE, I ASK  HIM, MR SPEAKER. THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING. -THAT  BEING THE CASE, AND THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN NOT  BEING DISPOSED TO RELEASE THE CONTENTS OF THE

LETTER, I WILL TELL THE HOUSE THE SUBSTANCE OF THE

,/12

LETTER, WITHOUT THE PERSONAL FLOURISHES OF  GOODWILL, IN 1968 THE BRITISH ATOMIC ENERGY  WEAPONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT MADE A REPORT  CONCERNING MATERIAL BURIED AT MARALINGA. THAT

REPORT WAS KNOWN AS THE PEARCE COMMITTEE REPORT, IT WAS CLASSIFIED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT,  AS A CONSEQUENCE, THIS GOVERNMENT IS IN NO  POSITION TO DECLASSIFY IT, ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF

LAST YEAR THE AUSTRALIAN IONISING RADIATION  ADVISORY COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE  TO CONSIDER FURTHER THE MATERIAL BURIED AT  MARALINGA. IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR ITS REPORT  WAS CONSIDERED BY AIRAC. THE PRINCIPAL

RECOMMENDATION OF THAT REPORT WAS THAT THE  GOVERNMENT SHOULD UNDERTAKE A FURTHER DETAILED  Ã¢ÂÂ   STUDY OF ALL ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS  ASSOCIATED WITH THE BURIAL OF MATERIAL AT MARALINGA,

THE GOVERNMENT IS PRESENTLY ATTENDING TO THAT.  RECOMMENDATION", .

ON 9 MARCH 1977, THE PRESENT LEADER OF THE  OPPOSITION ASKED ME THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

"CAN HE PROVIDE A FULL LIST OF ALL NUCLEAR  EXPLOSIONS WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN .  . AUSTRALIA GIVING THE DATE, THE SIZE, LOCATION  AND PURPOSE OF EACH",

I REPLIED:

"YES, THE LIST IS AS FOLLOWS:

, -  12  -

,,,/13

DATE

- 13 -

LOCATION

1

.  APPROXIMATE SIZE

2 Oc t o b e r  1952 MONTE BELLO KILOTON RANGE 15 Oc t o b e r  1953 EMU KILOTON RANGE

27 Oc t o b e r  1953 EMU KILOTON RANGE

16 may  1956 MONTE BELLO KILOTON RANGE  19 j u n e  1956 MONTE BELLO KILOTON RANGE 27 SEPTEMBER 1956 MARALINGA KILOTON RANGE  4 Oc t o b e r  1956 MARALINGA LOW YIELD  11 Oc t o b e r  1956 MARALINGA LOW YIELD  22 Oc t ober  1956 MARALINGA KILOTON RANGE

14 SEPTEMBER 1957 MARALINGA LOW YIELD 25 SEPTEMBER 1957 MARALINGA KILOTON RANGE  9 Oc t o b e r  1957 MARALINGA KILOTON RANGE

THE PURPOSE OF EACH EXPLOSION WAS RELATED TO THE  DEVELOPMENT OF A BRITISH NUCLEAR DETERRENT",

ON 15 MARCH 1977, SENATOR GEORGES ASKED THE .   MINISTER REPRESENTING ME IN THE SENATE THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

"(1) WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS  INTO RADIOACTIVITY LEVELS AND THE  EFFECTIVENESS OF WASTE DISPOSAL AT  MARALINGA,

(2) WHAT RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL HAS BEEN : DISPOSED OF AT MARALINGA AND IN WHAT  QUANTITIES.

...714

-  14  -

(3) IS THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING ANY MEASURES  TO RECTIFY THIS WASTE DISPOSAL PROBLEM AT  MARALINGA".

.  I PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING ANSWER;

"(1) DETAILED REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONDITION IN  WHICH MARALINGA WAS TO BE L E F  WHEN BRITISH  ACTIVITY CLOSED DOWN WERE LAID DOWN IN  1967 BY THE ATOMIC WEAPONS TEST SAFETY

COMMITTEE SET UP BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT,

A F E R  THE BRITISH CLEAN-UP OPERATION OF THAT  YEAR THE A.W.T.S.C. REPORTED TO THE AUSTRALIAN  PRIME MINISTER OF THE TIME THAT THEY "WERE  SATISFIED MARALINGA WAS RADIO-LOGICALLY SAFE,  PERMANENT AND UNRESTRICTED ACCESS COULD BE MADE  TO ALL BUT A FEW SMALL AREAS AND EVEN THEY COULD

BE OCCUPIED ON A SHORT TERM BASIS WITHOUT RISK",

IN 1972 A FURTHER SURVEY CONFIRMED THE 1967  LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE,

(2) THERE WERE THREE SOURCES OF THE RADIOACTIVE  MATERIAL AT MARALINGA/ VIZ, DEBRIS FROM  BRITISH EXPERIMENTS 15 TO 25 YEARS AGO; WASHINGS FROM BRITISH SERVICE AIRCRAFT WHICH

PARTICIPATED IN NUCLEAR TESTS AT CHRISTMAS  ISLAND (IN THE PACIFIC) IN 1957-58; AND NUCLEAR  WASTE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE,

...715

-  15  -

THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT IN THE CLEAN-UP  PROCESS REFERRED TO IN (1) ABOVE WAS TO  MONITOR RADIATION LEVELS AND RECORD THESE  IN. DETAIL - NOT, IN EVERY CASE, THE WEIGHT  VOLUME OR CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE  DEBRIS AND ACCOMPANYING ROCK, SOIL, ETC., THAT WAS BEING DISPOSED OF.

THE RELEVANT REPORT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE  AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY, FORWARDED  TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, HAS BEEN  AVAILABLE TO ALL SUBSEQUENT GOVERNMENTS -

BOTH AUSTRALIAN AND SOUTH AUSTRALIAN - AND  WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE AUSTRALIAN IONISING  RADIATION AUTHORITY COUNCIL WHEN THAT BODY,

SET UP BY THE PREVIOUS AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT,  CONSIDERED THE MARALINGA DEBRIS,

FROM THE STANDPOINT OF LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL  MANAGEMENT THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE  EXTENSIVE FACTS RECORDED IN THE REPORT RELATE  TO THE BURIAL OF SOME 20 KILOGRAMS OF PLUTONIUM,

(3) PAST SURVEYS HAVE NOT INDICATED A REQUIREMENT  ON RADIOLOGICAL GROUNDS FOR ANY GOVERNMENT SINCE  1967 TO INSTITUTE ADDITIONAL OR DIFFERENT CONTROL  AND SAFETY MEASURES, IT HAS HOWEVER ALWAYS BEEN

RECOGNISED THAT PERIODIC CHECKS WOULD BE NECESSARY  (AS IN 1972).

...716

-  16  -

THE AUSTRALIAN IONISING RADIATION ADVISORY  COUNCIL -RECOMMENDED IN DECEMBER 1976 THAT',. A FURTHER SURVEY BE MADE AND THE GOVERNMENT  IS TAKING STEPS TO ARRANGE THIS,

SHOULD A NEED FOR ANY NEW MEASURES BECOME  APPARENT AS A RESULT OF THIS SURVEY, OR  OTHER PERIODIC REVIEW, THIS GOVERNMENT, AND  I HAVE NO DOUBT ITS SUCCESSORS, WILL TAKE  THE NECESSARY ACTION",

ON 18 AUGUST 1977, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR GREY  ASKED ME THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

"(1) WHAT INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT  ON THE PLUTONIUM KNOWN TO BE BURIED AT Ã¢ÂÂ    MARALINGA IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA,

(2) WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THOSE INVESTIGATIONS".

I REPLIED:

"(1) & (2) THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THE  DISPOSAL OF THE DEBRIS WHICH RESULTED FROM THE  SERIES OF BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS AND EXPERIMENTS  AT THE MARALINGA AREA. THIS DEBRIS INCLUDES  PLUTONIUM.

AFTER THE SERIES HAD BEEN CONCLUDED, THE AREAS  INVOLVED WERE CLEANED UP IN 1967 BY THE  BRITISH TO COMPLY WITH STANDARDS SET BY THE  ATOMIC WEAPONS TEST SAFETY

...717

-  17  -

COMMITTEE (AWTSC) - AN AUSTRALIAN BODY, THIS DEBRIS WAS DISPOSED OF IN VARIOUS  WAYS, INCLUDING STORAGE IN STEEL AND  LEAD BOXES, BURIAL IN PITS, COVERING

WITH MASSIVE CONCRETE SLABS, PLOUGHING  IN AND FENCING AND AREA CONTROL, DETAILED  RECORDS WERE KEPT OF ALL BURIALS.

THE AWTSC REPORTED TO THE PRIME MINISTER  .  OF THE TIME THAT THEY WERE "SATISFIED MARALINGA WAS RADIOLOGICALLY SAFE. PERMANENT AND UNRESTRICTED ACCESS COULD BE

MADE TO ALL BUT A FEW SMALL AREAS AND EVEN  THEY COULD BE OCCUPIED ON A SHORT TERM  BASIS WITHOUT RISK",

A FURTHER INQUIRY BY THE COMMITTEE IN 1972  CONFIRMED THE 1967 LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE,

PERIODIC CHECKS CONTINUE, MY COLLEAGUE, THE  MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY  DEVELOPMENT, ANNOUNCED ON 9 AUGUST 1977 THAT  A SCIENTIFIC STUDY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE  AUSTRALIAN IONISING RADIATION ADVISORY COUNCIL

HAD COMMENCED ON THE POSSIBLE DISPERSAL OF  RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN THE MARALINGA AREA",

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVEN OCCASIONS ON WHICH INFORMATION  HAS BEEN SOUGHT FROM ME REGARDING THE MARALINGA TESTS. I HAVE  GIVEN THE FACTS ON EVERY OCCASION.

o 718

I TRY TO BE SYMPATHETIC TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR REID  KNOWING AS I DO HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF WAR, BUT I AM  SADDENED THAT HE HAS ALLOWED. PREJUDICE - BLIND, UNTRAMMELLED  PREJUDICE - TO CONTROL HIS THINKING AND HIS ATTITUDE ON THIS  MATTER OF IMPORTANCE,

I HAVE EXPLAINED THE BRITISH EXPLODED 12 ATOMIC DEVICES IN  AUSTRALIA, THREE AT MONTE BELLO, SEVEN AT MARALINGA, AND TWO  AT EMU FIELD NEAR MARALINGA. BETWEEN 1955 AND 1963 THE  BRITISH ALSO CONDUCTED A SERIES OF OTHER SCIENTIFIC

EXPERIMENTS WITH RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES AT MARALINGA,

THE MARALINGA AND EMU AREAS WERE THE SUBJECTS OF A LARGE  SCALE CLEAN-UP OPERATION CONDUCTED IN 1967 TO BRING THEM TO  -STANDARDS - INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS - SET BY  THE AUSTRALIAN ATOMIC WEAPONS TEST SAFETY COMMITTEE,

IN 1968 THAT COMMITTEE INFORMED THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY  THAT IT WAS SATISFIED THAT THE AREA WAS RADIOLOGICALLY SAFE,  AND THAT PERMANENT AND UNRESTRICTED ACCESS COULD BE MADE TO  ALL BUT A FEW SMALL AREAS, AND EVEN THEY COULD BE OCCUPIED  ON A SHORT TERM BASIS WITHOUT RISK,

IT WAS RECOGNISED AT THE SAME TIME THAT PERIODIC RE-APPRAISALS  WOULD BE NECESSARY, THE FIRST WAS CARRIED OUT IN 1972. IT  CONFIRMED THE 1967 LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE.

THERE WAS NO SURVEY CONDUCTED ON THE GROUND IN THE PERIOD  1973-74-75.

- 18  -

,,,/19

-  19  -

CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN, HOWEVER, BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER  FOR MARTBYRNONG, WHO THEN HAD MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY, TO DEVELOP NEW MEANS OF SURVEY,

THAT MUCH IS HISTORICAL,

IN DECEMBER 1976 THE AUSTRALIAN IONISING RADIATION ADVISORY  COUNCIL (AIRAC) ENDORSED PROPOSALS FOR A FURTHER REVIEW  WHICH SHOULD EXTEND TO AN ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE AREA. THESE PROPOSALS WERE ACCEPTED BY THE RESPONSIBLE MINISTER‘-  THE MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY  DEVELOPMENT - WHO AUTHORISED THE NEW SURVEY IN MAY 1977. THE

FIELD WORK WAS COMMENCED IN AUGUST 1977 WITH THE ASSISTANCE  OF TWO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, THESE WERE  THE DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT,

THE WORK INVOLVED SPECIALIST ASSISTANCE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN  RADIATION LABORATORY, THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION AND THE  BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY,

WITH MY COLLEAGUE'S AGREEMENT I INFORM THE HOUSE OF THE  PRESENT POSITION, WHICH IS THAT THE RADIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL  ANALYSIS OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF SOIL, WATER AND BIOLOGICAL  SAMPLES COLLECTED IN 1977 IS NOW SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE. THIS

HAS INVOLVED A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND LABOUR, AIRAC WILL  SHORTLY CONSIDER THE TECHNICAL REPORTS FROM THE CO-OPERATING  LABORATORIES AND WILL PREPARE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE  GOVERNMENT, Â· .

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IN 1977/ AS A RESULT OF CONSULTATION BETWEEN MINISTERS, IT WAS DECIDED THAT AN EXAMINATION^SHOULD COMMENCE OF  THE LONG-RANGE QUESTIONS OF MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH  THE MARALINGA AREA, THERE WERE ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED  OF COMMONWEALTH AND STATE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND OF SUITABLE ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS - BEARING IN  MIND THAT THE AREA DOES NOT HAVE RELEVANCE TO ANY PRACTICAL,  CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE PURPOSE,

IT WAS ALSO DECIDED SUBSEQUENTLY TO JOIN THE EMU FIELD AREA  TO THIS STUDY BECAUSE THE PROXIMITY OF MARALINGA AND EMU  FIELD SUGGESTED THAT THE SAME, OR SIMILAR, LONG-RANGE  ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT MEASURES SHOULD APPLY TO BOTH,

THIS WORK NOW AWAITS THE FINDINGS BY AI RAC WHICH WILL OF  COURSE, BE BASIC TO FURTHER DEFINITION OF THE PRACTICAL  ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED AT MARALINGA,

IT HAS ADDITIONALLY BEEN DECIDED TO INCLUDE THE MONTE BELLOS  IN THE GENERAL REVIEW, A JOINT DEFENCE-AI RAC RECONNAISSANCE  OF THE MONTE BELLO SITE WILL, IN FACT, COMMENCE LATER THIS  MONTH, IT HAS BEEN IN THE PLANNING FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS.

THESE ACTIONS NOW MEAN THAT ALL THE FORMER NUCLEAR WEAPONS  TEST SITES IN AUSTRALIA ARE RECEIVING CLOSE ATTENTION,

THAT THIS IS NOW HAPPENING DOES NOT MEAN THAT NEW FACTS OR  NEW PHENOMENA HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO THE GOVERNMENT WHICH  HEIGHTEN CONCERN ABOUT THE SITES, WHAT IT DOES MEAN IS THAT  20 TO 25 YEARS ON - IT IS TIME TO RE-ASSESS WHAT IMPEDIMENTS,

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IF ANY, STAND IN THE WAY OF THEIR BEING OPENED UP FURTHER  TO NORMAL EVERY-DAY ACTIVITY,

THE GOVERNMENT IS PROCEEDING IN A METHODICAL WAY TO DEVELOP  THE MOST APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE FOR THE  LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF THESE SITES, BASED ON THE BEST  SCIENTIFIC ADVICE IT CAN OBTAIN,

YET ANOTHER OF THE MATTERS WHICH THIS GOVERNMENT HAS HAD  UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION - AND ONE WHICH LAY BEHIND  CABINET'S RECENT DELIBERATIONS - RELATES TO AUSTRALIA'S  OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH THE

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY CONSEQUENT UPON OUR  ACCESSION TO THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY.

OUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER HAS LED TO A CLOSE APPRAISAL  OF WHETHER ANY OF THE MATERIAL BURIED AT MARALINGA, WHILE  SAFELY BURIED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF SURFACE RADIATION  HAZARD, MAY ALSO BE "SAFEGUARDABLE" UNDER THE PRECISE TERMS  OF AUSTRALIA'S AGREEMENT WITH THE IAEA. THAT AGREEMENT WAS

SIGNED SINCE THE BURIALS WERE MADE. WHEN THE POSSIBILITY ,   WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF RESPONSIBLE MINISTERS, THE  IAEA WAS ADVISED THAT, PENDING CONFIRMATION, SOME MATERIAL  MAY BE RECOVERABLE.

AN ANALYSTS OF THE DOCUMENTARY RECORDS OF THE BURIALS SUGGESTS  THAT ONE PIT DOES CONTAIN MATERIAL IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO  BE SAFEGUARDABLE', AND DISPOSED OF IN SUCH A WAY AS TO FIT THE  NEW CRITERION "PRACTICABLY RECOVERABLE",

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THE RECONNAISSANCE ON THE GROUND THAT CABINET HAS NOW  AUTHORISED IS INTENDED TO TEST THE CONCLUSION REACHED  FROM THE DOCUMENTS AND, IF IT IS VERIFIED, TO ESTABLISH  THE PRACTICAL MEASURES TO AFFECT EXHUMATION.

MR SPEAKER, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO EMPHASISE HERE, AND FOR THIS  HOUSE AND THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, THAT THERE  IS NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECOVERABILITY AND  RADIATION LEVELS AT MARALINGA. THE FACT THAT ONE PIT CONTAINS  PLUTONIUM IN A FORM OF BURIAL WHICH MAY MAKE ITS EXHUMATION  PRACTICABLE HAS IN FACT NOTHING WHATEVER TO DO WITH SURFACE

RADIATION.

THERE HAS BEEN A REGRETTABLE TENDENCY TO SENSATIONALISE THIS  SUBJECT IN WAYS THAT HAVE LEFT THE IMPRESSION IN SOME PEOPLE'S  MINDS THAT THERE IS ONE PARTICULARLY "HOT" OR DANGEROUS PIT  AT MARALINGA WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SPECIAL

MEASURES, FROM A HEALTH VIEWPOINT, WHICH RECENT AUSTRALIAN  GOVERNMENTS HAVE FAILED TO TAKE,

THAT IS NOT THE CASE, AND IN THE INTERESTS OF RATIONAL  DISCUSSION ON THE MATTER I EXTEND WHAT I HAVE JUST SAID TO  INCLUDE THE WHITLAM LABOR GOVERNMENT.

I ALSO POINT OUT HERE THAT "DISCRETE", A TERM WHICH IT HAS  BEEN REVEALED WAS USED IN MY SUBMISSION TO CABINET, DOES NOT  MEAN THERE IS A SOLID HALF-KILOGRAM LUMP OF PURE PLUTONIUM  METAL BURIED AT MARALINGA. THE TERM RELATES TO AN INDIVIDUALLY  DISTINCT QUANTITY THAT WAS BURIED, COMPRISING DISCS WHICH

WERE SHATTERED DURING EXPERIMENTS, AFTER WHICH THE PLUTONIUM

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WAS PUT INTO STEEL CYLINDERS, ALONG WITH THE MATERIAL  SURROUNDING IT, AND THE GROUP OF CYLINDERS BURIED TOGETHER  IN THE ONE PIT,

THIS AGGREGATION OF CONCENTRATED MATERIAL IN SEALED  CONTAINERS IN THE ONE SPOT IS IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE  REMAINDER OF THE PLUTONIUM AT MARALINGA WHICH IS DISPERSED  IN MORE THAN 800 TONNES OF RUBBLE IN THE PITS.

THE FIRST REQUIREMENT WILL BE TO CONDUCT THE RECONNAISSANCE, THAT RECONNAISSANCE SHALL SAY WHETHER OR NOT THE PLUTONIUM  IS RECOVERABLE. IF IT IS RECOVERABLE IT WILL CERTAINLY BE  NO EASY TASK TO UNDERTAKE UNDER PROPERLY CONTROLLED CONDITIONS,

IT NEEDS TO BE KEPT IN MIND THAT RECOVERY WOULD INVOLVE TWO  PROCESSES: EXHUMATION OF THE BURIAL, AND EXTRACTION OF THE  PLUTONIUM.

FOR PRACTICAL REASONS, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GREATLY HAVE  PREFERRED TO HAVE DEALT WITH THIS MATTER AS PART OF ITS  BROADER PROGRAM FOR THE LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT  OF THE GENERAL AREA,

IT HAS, HOWEVER, DECIDED THAT ACTION ON THE HALF-KILOGRAM  SHOULD BE ACCELERATED, AND THAT IS WHAT MY CABINET  SUBMISSION WAS ABOUT. ONE REASON WAS THAT, IF THE MATERIAL

IS INDEED RECOVERABLE, OUR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS REQUIRE  THAT IT BE DEALT WITH. THE SECOND WAS THAT, EVEN IF THE RISK  OF CIRCUMSTANCES ARISING IN WHICH THE PLUTONIUM MIGHT BE EXHUMED

ILLEGALLY ARE INFINITESIMALLY SMALL AT PRESENT, THE MATERIAL

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SHOULD NOT BE LEFT THERE - IF RECOVERABLE - AG INST AN  UNFORESEEABLE FUTURE,

IT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF A CERTAIN KIND OF SO-CALLED  JOURNALISM IN THIS COUNTRY, MR SPEAKER, THAT CERTAIN SECTIONS  OF MY CABINET SUBMISSION WERE REPORTED ACCURATELY, WHILE  OTHER PARTS WERE SELECTED FOR DISTORTION TO CONTRIVE A MIXTURE  THAT WOULD CREATE A SENSATIONAL IMPACT AND ALARM THE PUBLIC,

MY SUBMISSION DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THE MATERIAL WAS CURRENTLY A TERRORIST THREAT; IT DID NOT SAY THERE WERE NO DETERRENTS  TO ITS THEFT; IT DID NOT SUGGEST IT COULD, UNDER THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, BE STOLEN AND IT DID NOT SAY THAT THE PRIME

MINISTER HAD BEEN WARNED THAT THE MATERIAL CREATED A TERRORIST  PROBLEM. .

WHAT I.DID SAY IS THAT THE MATERIAL COULD CONCEIVABLY, IN THE  FUTURE, BECOME A RISK IN A TERRORIST CONTEXT - IF LEFT IN ITS  PRESENT BURIAL STATE,

I COULD NOT READILY ENVISAGE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THAT THREAT  MIGHT MATERIALISE, BUT I,DO KNOW THAT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS  FOR THE BURIAL TO BECOME A THREAT WOULD BE THE WIDESPREAD  DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE POTENTIAL RECOVERABILITY OF  THE MATERIAL BEFORE IT HAD BEEN RECOVERED BY THE AUTHORITIES.

THAT IS WHY THE POSSIBILITY OF RECOVERY WAS BEING CLOSELY HELD  UNTIL THE RECONNAISSANCE HAD BEEN CONDUCTED, IT WAS AN  OBVIOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO WITHHOLD THAT CONSIDERATION UNTIL THE

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RECONNAISSANCE HAD BEEN DONE, IT WAS AN ACT OF  IRRESPONSIBILITY THAT BLAZONED IT ACROSS THE NEWSPAPERS,. IT WAS AN EVIL MIND THAT MADE THE FIRST IMPROPER REVELATION  TO A NEWSPAPER, THAT ACT OF REVELATION IS TO BE DEEPLY  DESPISED. IT MERITS NO MERE INDIGNATION BUT THE SEVEREST

SANCTION.

THERE HAS BEEN AN ENHANCEMENT OF SURVEILLANCE OVER THE  AIRFIELD SITE, WHEN JOURNALISTS FROM ADELAIDE SOUGHT LAST  !  FRIDAY TO PROVE OTHERWISE, ONE OF THE POLICEMEN TO WHOM THEY SPOKE HAD, IN FACT, ARRIVED AT MARALINGA THAT MORNING,

THAT DID NOT STOP THE PRESS IN QUESTION FROM ALLEGING THAT  NO NEW MEASURES HAD BEEN TAKEN - ANOTHER INSTANCE OF PEOPLE  SAYING WHAT THEY WANT TO BELIEVE ABOUT THIS MATTER, NOT WHAT  IS TRUE.

I DO NOT INTEND TO STATE HERE THE DETAILS OF THE ADDITIONAL  MEASURES. THEY CERTAINLY INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE ADDITIONAL  POLICEMAN, THEY ARE ADEQUATE.

IN APPLYING ITSELF ASSIDUOUSLY TO THE TASK OF SELECTIVELY  MISREPORTING A LEAKED CABINET DOCUMENT, ONE NEWSPAPER HAS  ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE DOCUMENT DEMONSTRATED THAT THE  ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION COULD NOT HANDLE THE SUBSTANCE IF

IT WERE EXHUMED,

THAT, QUITE SIMPLY, IS ANOTHER UNTRUTH.

THE POINT IS THAT BY EXHUMING THE BURIAL, AUSTRALIA WOULD  BE OBLIGED TO ENTER THE PLUTONIUM IT CONTAINS ON THE INVENTORY

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OF FISSIONABLE MATERIALS IN AUSTRALIAN TERRITORY WHICH  AUSTRALIA MAINTAINS WITH THE IAEA UNDER ITS OBLIGATIONS  DERIVING FROM THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY, SUBSTANCES ENTERED ON SUCH INVENTORIES HAVE TO BE  SUBJECTED TO RIGOROUS ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THEIR EXACT

QUANTITY AND CHARACTERISTICS,

BUT THE POINT IS THAT WE DO NOT WANT THE PLUTONIUM, WE HAVE  NO USE FOR IT, AND THE COSTLY TASK OF UNDERTAKING A THOROUGH  ANALYSIS OF THE MATERIAL WOULD MEET NO PRACTICAL AUSTRALIAN  PURPOSE, BRITAIN, BY CONTRAST, WOULD NOT BE OBLIGED UNDER  THE N.P.T. TO CHARACTERISE THE MATERIAL WHEN TAKING IT INTO

INVENTORY,

THIS IS ONE REASON WHY THE RETURN OF THE MATERIAL TO THE  BRITISH MAY BE THE MORE DESIRABLE OPTION, MUCH, HOWEVER, WILL  DEPEND ON WHETHER THE RECONNAISSANCE ON THE GROUND VERIFIES

THE JUDGEMENT REACHED FROM ANALYSIS OF THE DOCUMENTS,  ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR A JOINT INVESTIGATION WITH  BRITISH OFFICIALS OF THE SITUATION,

MR SPEAKER, THOSE ARE THE FACTS AND THOSE ARE THE CONSIDERATIONS,   THOSE ARE THE ACTIONS THIS GOVERNMENT IS TAKING. WE WILL NOT   LET THE POINTLESS EVENTS OF THE PAST FEW DAYS DEFLECT US FROM   THE RESPONSIBLE, RATIONAL AND MEASURED APPROACH WE N aVE BEEN .

ADOPTING IN THIS MATTER. .

