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Business SA backs ongoing dump debate

Business SA has backed moves by the state government to continue the debate over building a nuclear waste dump in the state's north.

South Australia's peak business group has lashed the "political one-upmanship" playing out around the debate over building a high-level nuclear waste dump in the state's north.

The state government wants to push on with discussions about the proposal which could reap SA billions of dollars by taking waste from overseas.

Premier Jay Weatherill has raised the prospect of a referendum to decide the issue but says it can't be held without bipartisan support, something the Liberal opposition won't provide.

But Business SA says the political posturing on the issue is blocking the long-term, methodical consideration of the idea.

It wants the proposal to be thoroughly investigated through a mature analysis by all stakeholders.

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"Business SA has long argued for such consideration and we strongly encourage the bipartisan support that is required to at least go to the next step of having a dispassionate review of the potential of waste storage," spokesman Anthony Penney said.

"Business SA encourages all political parties and interested stakeholders to allow that conversation to proceed."

As well as wanting debate over the dump to go on, the SA government has also backed an expansion of uranium mining in its full response to the nuclear fuel cycle royal commission.

It supports simplified approvals for mining uranium and wants more surveys to find new deposits.

Mr Weatherill said the royal commission's report was about embracing a high-tech future for South Australia that would generate jobs and prosperity for decades to come.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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