One of science minister Peter McGauran's lines is that South Australians will support the plan for a national nuclear dump in South Australia once all the facts are known. So why won't the government let the facts be known?

All 667 public submissions on the Environmental Impact Statement have been kept secret.

The Defence Department’s risk assessment has been kept secret.

The Final EIS was kept secret for a month (Dec-Jan 2003).

The Environment Department’s analysis of the EIS is being kept secret (it has been completed but will not be released until the environment minister announces his decision to rubber-stamp the dump plan).

The Australian Democrats have initiated three Senate orders for all documents relating to the siting of the dump to be made public, but all three orders have been refused by the government. (Senator Lyn Allison, media release, 11/4/03.)

There are many other examples, e.g. government secrecy regarding its plan to co-locate a store for long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste adjacent to the dump.

The irony is that the planned dump would already be built and operating if the government had been honest and transparent from the start.

Other players also have a poor record. For example, construction company GHD has won a contract to work on the dump project, but GHD has repeatedly refused to respond to questions and concerns about its role in the 'clean-up' of Maralinga.

The following questions have been sent to the government repeatedly from March 2, 2003, to April 28, 2003, but the government refuses to answer them:

1. The latest inventory (S-EIS, App. C) has an entry called Defence (Vic/NSW/SA) 725 GBq ... could you please give me a figure as to how much of that is in SA, what it comprises, and where it is located.
2. What is the factual basis for Mr. McGauran's repeated assertions that nuclear medicine is the major source of waste destined for the repository?
3. Mr McGauran said on ABC radio on 5/2/03: "We firmly believe in the principle that each country must dispose of its own waste." Does that mean that wastes arising from the 450 US-origin spent fuel elements now at Lucas Heights will eventually be disposed of in Australia?
4. Has the government/DEST had any discussions with Dr. Ian Duncan re repository plans, has he been contracted to work on the issue?

The Department of Education, Science and Training responded by email on March 13, 2003 saying: "Please refer any current and future questions and comments you may have to Minister McGauran's office." Now the Minister's office is refusing to respond to the questions!