Mr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (13:48): I rise on a matter that deeply troubles me, the decision by Justice Charlesworth two weeks ago in the Federal Court to disallow the ministerial selection by my good friend Keith Pitt of the Kimba site for the national radioactive waste management facility.
After treading this pathway for seven years, I’m disturbed by what it says to my community, but I’m even more concerned by what it says about the value of freehold title in Australia today. Justice Charlesworth has thrown out the High Court decision, saying that native title has been extinguished by the act of freehold title and that people with freehold title have to go back and consult with the traditional owners if they wish to make any changes to their land. They might be putting up a shed on a suburban block. The minister must immediately repeal this decision because it is putting doubt in the mind of all Australians who own land and property.
The next problem that we have—and I’ll be having more to say this week on this issue in this place—is we now have an authority called ANSTO which is going to run out of space for low-level wage in 2028, and ARPANSA said that condition cannot be extended. That judge has put the producer of medical isotopes— (Time expired)