Greenpeace activists have warned Australia could become a dumping ground for radioactive material as a ship carrying 25 tonnes of nuclear waste arrived in Australia.
The BBC Shanghai sailed into Port Kembla in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on Saturday, carrying reprocessed nuclear waste, which Greenpeace says still contains plutonium.
More than a dozen activists were at the port when the ship, which they have described as "unseaworthy", arrived.
The BBC Shanghai has been detained by both the Australian and US governments in the past two years because of safety problems, Greenpeace Australia Pacific head of programs Emma Gibson told AAP.
"The US government has put this ship on a list of banned vessels carrying any kind of government cargo, yet the Australian government has allowed it to carry this," she said.
The BBC Shanghai travelled from France with what Australian authorities described as "intermediate-level waste", according to Greenpeace.
French authorities classified it as "high level" because it still contains plutonium, they said.
"Australia still doesn't have a proper plan for its own nuclear waste, so I don't know how the government plans to deal with the rest of the world's nuclear waste too," Ms Gibson said.
The waste is expected to be transported to a secure facility overnight.
"It will go to Lucas Heights (in southwest Sydney) which is probably the least worst option in Australia, the best place for it even though there is no long term solution," Ms Gibson said.
The federal government has currently shortlisted six sites for a dump for Australia's own nuclear waste.
Ms Gibson said there were fears Australia could become an international dumping ground.
"Most Australians rightly don't want their country to become a nuclear waste dump for the rest of the world," she said.
A survey of more than 3000 people in November found more than 70 per cent of people were opposed to accepting nuclear waste from other nations.
ANSTO, Australia's nuclear research and development organisation, told ABC that Greenpeace's claims about the waste containing plutonium were incorrect and the waste was a safe medium level.
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