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 Community Radio 855am

THE RADIO-ACTIVE SHOW

With Eric Miller and Linda Marks

Saturday at 10.00am

6th March 1999

Good morning, this is the Radioactive Show brought to you by the Sustainable Energy and Anti-Uranium Service. I'm Linda Marks and with me in the studio on this International Women's Day weekend is Ila Marks. (Good Morning) The Radioactive Show is a weekly program bringing you news and information on Nuclear, Peace and Energy issues.

On today's show speak to Marie Matthews from the Women's Embassy Action. They have organised a vigil in support of Jacqui Katona and Christine Christopherson up in Darwin and they are in Berrimah gaol for trespass on the Jabiluka lease. They were arrested last year with senior traditional owner, Yvonne Margarula. We also speak with Alvie Booth, whose charges of trespass on the lease were dropped on Thursday. And finally, we speak to Genevieve Rankin in Sydney, who is a councillor for Sutherland Shire and we ask for her comment on Senator Hill's announcement this week to delay his decision on the new nuclear research reactor at Lucas Heights.

Jacqui Katona and Christine Christopherson are serving a 12 days sentence in Berrimah gaol for none payment of their fines incurred when they were arrested for trespass on the Jabiluka lease. I spoke to Marie Matthews who is one of the women organising the wearing of purple across Darwin in support of Jacqui and Christine. I asked her if she was outside the Berrimah gaol at the Women's Embassy?

Marie Matthews: Definitely not! It's far too hot to be standing out there. No, I'm actually at home. The vigil is continuing but people are not just standing out the front. For instance, on Monday when we opened the Women's Embassy there is was 32o and 86% humidity and no shade and no breeze. It's a very hot place to be. So, what we have done is to activate the Embassy in every woman in Darwin. We've done this by asking women to wear the colour purple, to write to the women in gaol saying 'Hey, this is a "get out of gaol for free card,"' by faxing, speaking to their local ministers, and ringing up radio stations. And of course we are asking everybody to come along to the International Women's Day march and Speakeasy happening here in Darwin on Saturday morning.

Linda Marks: That's a wonderful idea, a wonderful way to conduct a vigil up there where the conditions are so terrible for standing outside. What sort of support have you had in Darwin? How many people are wearing purple?

Marie Matthews: Everywhere I look I see women wearing purple. It's actually quite good. I even saw some pieces of purple material wrapped around aerials on cars. Women have really taken it on board and taken it on as a celebration in support of. So it's not a horrible experience, it's turning into a wonderful experience.

Linda Marks: Have you have any news from inside the gaol? Have Jacqui and Christine managed to speak to you or to get any news to you?

Marie Matthews: No, we haven't attempted to speak to them because our information is that their families need whatever time they can have. As you can imagine, this is very distressing for their families, particularly their mothers, and they were there on Monday. They are receiving a lot of faxes, apparently the faxes are coming through, the "get out of gaol for free" cards are coming through.

Linda Marks: Are they being faxed through to the gaol?

Marie Matthews: Both to the gaol and to Gundjehmi Corporation at Jabiru.

Linda Marks: What sort of faxes have you had from around Australia?

Marie Matthews: Saying "We support you, we stand beside you. If we can do anything to help, please let us know. We look forward to you release on Monday."

Linda Marks: I understand you received a fax from Cesarina Rocha from East Timor?

Marie Matthews: That's right. She spoke at the opening of the Embassy on Monday. You know, she is one amazing woman. She is speaking from personal experience. And the way she was able to the two, the Mirrar people and the East Timorese people together, has just been stunning.

Linda Marks: Now, Christine and Jacqui chose to go to gaol rather than pay the $500 fine, but in fact, they had no choice did they, they had to go to gaol?

Marie Matthews: They had to go to gaol because in their way of living they have not broken any law, it's the other way around, they upheld their law to protect the people, the land, the country, the future and the dreaming.

Linda Marks: And also, Yvonne was found guilty during that court appearance and has appealed that to the Supreme Court, hasn't she?

Marie Matthews: Yes she has and that is still ongoing.

Linda Marks: And when is that coming up?

Marie Matthews: We don't know as yet. As far as I have heard there is still no date set.

Linda Marks: So if the worst comes to the worst, we may all be wearing purple around Australia if Yvonne goes to gaol.

Marie Matthews: Well, if that were to happen it would be an extremely shameful day for Australia. If you have ever met Yvonne Margarula, to look into her face is to look into Kakadu. You cannot separate her from the Australian landscape. She is stunningly beautiful, she always has a baby on her hip, she is a woman of limited words in that she doesn't believe in using many of them, but when she speaks, the power just pours out of her.

Linda Marks: Yes, I have met Yvonne.

Marie Matthews: I'm glad you have met Yvonne that's great…

Linda Marks: You have other things organised haven't you, different things on each day?

Marie Matthews: No, not so much on each day. We do have things organised for the Saturday and Monday. On Saturday morning we join in with the International Woman's Day march and speakeasy. We are working in those same heat conditions, it's just full on, the perspiration just falls off all the time, so this is the day when all of the women in Darwin get together and we speak about the issues that are occurring. This year it's 'No More Humbug'. And one of those things is let these women out of gaol. They should never have been put there in the first place. The topic of Jacqui Katona and Christine Christopherson is the highest thing on our minds at the moment. On Monday they are released. We know that they will be released at 10am. As yet we so not know if Jacqui and Christine's families will be there. But we do know that they are being released at 10am. So the Women's Embassy will be there and from speaking with women on Saturday we will get the flow on to be there for their coming out party. Wearing purple, welcome the girls out.

Linda Marks: So that is International Women's Day that they are coming out? They are being released on International Women's Day!

Marie Matthews: Yes! Exactly! And to go with it is that Jacqui is a nominee in the Chief Minister's Northern Territory Women's Achievement Award which is also announced on Monday. So they come out, it is International Women's Day and it is the Award announcement day as well. So you can see it is a big day and it is an important one.

Linda Marks: Marie, thank you for speaking to us on the Radioactive Show and good luck for the rest of the vigil and we look forward to celebrating their release on Monday as we celebrate International Women's Day here in Melbourne.

Marie Matthews: Thank you very much. In Sisterhood.

Linda Marks: I was speaking to Marie Matthews, one of the organisers of the wearing of purple across Darwin in support of Jacqui Katona and Christine Christopherson who are serving a 12 day sentence in Berrimah gaol for trespass on the Jabiluka lease.

And the music was 'Politicians Song' by Lisa Yates recorded in Darwin from the CD 'Uranium, Don't Dig It, Stop Jabiluka'

Alvie Booth is 91 but felt impelled to go to Jabiluka in Support of the Mirrar People. She was arrested for trespass with two other women in an action that symbolised three generations of women. I spoke to Alvie as she came out of court on Thursday and I asked what the result of the court case was?

Alvie Booth: The result is the charge was dropped and in dropping it the Magistrate said it was on account of my age and a few other things and he finished by saying that it was in the public interest.

Linda Marks: In the public interest that he drop the charges or what you did was in the public interest?

Alvie Booth: Both! In other words what I did was in the public interest and the fact the charge was dropped was in the public interest is really what it means. And that is wonderful. We don't get costs which isn't so good. The thing that is quite unfair of course is that Jacqui Katona and Christine are both in gaol at the moment. Whereas they own the land on which they walked and I get off because I'm 91, which is ridiculous. It's very unfair. I feel very bad about that. But the fact that the charge has been dropped with somebody saying it is in the public interest….

Linda Marks: Well, that is a win!

Alvie Booth: That is a win.

Linda Marks: And also you have travelled all the way up to Darwin at your own expense, and you are representing all of us really.

Alvie Booth: Well, I didn't really travel up on my own expense because the NW Melbourne MAUM group put out an appeal to assist me because I wouldn't have been able to pay the fine or anything of that sort. And I've been also been helped tremendously with legal aid and moral support. So it is not quite at my own expense. Certainly I've put a lot of effort into it, but the issue is so important for all Australians that we maintain Kakadu in its reasonably pristine condition with its unpolluted air and waterways. If it becomes polluted, there is no question that Darwin would suffer. They rely fairly heavily on tourism and fewer tourists would come and Darwin would suffer and so would all of us.

Linda Marks: Yes, it's very short sighted isn't it?

Alvie Booth: Yes, especially as there are alternative forms of energy and we don't need any more uranium for weapons anyway. There are far more than enough in the world to blot out every city if someone was stupid enough to try.

Linda Marks: Alvie, when you were arrested for trespass you were arrested with two other women. Can you tell us a little bit about what you did and what you were doing?

Alvie Booth: We took part in a woman's action to indicate that generations of Australians oppose the mine and we were representing three of them. One of the women, Rosalind was in her mid 50s, the other was a younger woman, Amanda, was in her 30s. We tried to represent just some of the people of the 67% of the Australians who oppose the mine. I'm sure that there are more now because even among my own acquaintances, people who were quite disinterested or even thought it might be a good idea to get some money for it, have indicated to me that they are certainly opposed to a mine there now.

Linda Marks: The two other women who were arrested with you, are they coming up into court?

Alvie Booth: No. Unfortunately they were in a position where they had to plead guilty for a number of reasons. Having pleaded guilty they each received a fine.

Linda Marks: Anyway, thank you for pleading not guilty and going up and arguing the case and congratulations on such a terrific result.

Alvie Booth: Thank you.

Linda Marks: And that was Alvie Booth whose charges for trespass on the Jabiluka lease were dropped in Darwin's Magistrate's Court last Thursday and the MAUM group she referred to was the Movement Against Uranium Mining active in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. Alvie is 91 years old and a tireless peace and anti-nuclear campaigner and she is an inspiration to all of us.

The Environment Minister, Robert Hill, has delayed his decision to approve the new research nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights in South Sydney. The decision was due last Tuesday but has been postponed until the 30th March which is after the NSW election. I spoke to Genevieve Rankin who is a member of People Against the Nuclear Reactor and is also councillor for the Sutherland Shire. Lucas Heights is in the Sutherland Shire. I asked her if Senator Hill gave any reason for delaying his decision?

Genevieve Rankin: No, they just said that they wanted an extension, but it's very obvious to us. The reason is that the State election is on and the Liberal Party in NSW is hoping to win the marginal seat of Menai which includes the Lucas Heights area. I think we have seen on this issue in the past even from the first announcement in 1997 that they are going ahead. Very cynical manipulation of the timing of the announcement and this is done to minimise the public comment. There is certainly no desire on the part of the Federal Government to have public debate on this during the State election campaign.

Linda Marks: Do they think that they don't have the support of the people and it might influence the result?

Genevieve Rankin: Clearly. I think this is a very good sign for our campaign. I think that the political parties now on both sides have realised that the people are not going to put up with a new reactor in the area and we will be able to mobilise quite a strong campaign when the Government comes out with the announcement. And this is why they are trying to do it in secret. They are trying to keep people not informed about it. In fact, many people in Sydney would still not even be aware that the Government is proposing to build a new nuclear reactor.

Linda Marks: How is the campaign going in the present weeks?

Genevieve Rankin: Very good. We are finding now with universities back there has been a lot of interest from student environment groups in the campaign. The local residents have organised a full time roster at the local environment centre and we are actually at a point in the campaign where we are receiving offers of help from right across Australia and I think Australians will generally get together. We don't want to be in Australia the nuclear wasteland of the rest of the world. If we get this reactor we also get a dump in South Australia and they are proposing to take waste there from Russia and from countries from all over the world. This makes Australia look like a nuclear back water when we have progressive countries like Germany, America hasn't built a new reactor since the 70s, and here we have a country like Australia, they think they can just impose it on the population. I'm sure we will be getting support from all over Australia to stop this.

Linda Marks: If the Billa Kalina dump doesn't go ahead then that really puts the reactor plans in abeyance doesn't it because they have to get rid of that waste?

Genevieve Rankin: Absolutely, there is no solution to the problem of nuclear waste and we don't believe that dumping it on an Aboriginal community is a solution either. At the moment they have the spent fuel rods just stored on site at Lucas Heights and they have done nothing with them. They have not been able to move them out. They are supposed to be in dry storage but last year we found that one of them had 90 litres of water on one of the canisters and this means that it leaches out into the ground water. Now this is radioactive material of the worst kind just sitting out here in the middle of the Sydney's suburbs. If they don't have a dump they should not be producing waste until they can work out how to deal with it.

Linda Marks: Do you have any plans in the next couple of months for the campaign?

Genevieve Rankin: There will be an action on the 11th April. We are planning that for the Lucas Heights site and there will probably be smaller actions as well, but there will be an action that people can come to on the 11th April. On the Palm Sunday rallies around Australia the nuclear issue will be a very big theme and I would hope that people in Victoria will get along to their rallies and protest against both the uranium mining, the new reactor proposal and the dump. It is really locking Australia into the nuclear industry forever. Into this old, outdated, costly technology just for the sake of a few powerful people who are pushing it internationally.

Linda Marks: Thanks very much Genevieve and good luck in the campaign in the coming months.

Genevieve Rankin: Thank you, Linda.

Linda Marks: I was speaking to Genevieve Rankin who is a member of People Against the Nuclear Reactor and is also a Councillor for the Sutherland Shire.

Now Ila, you have a bit of news for us.

Ila Marks: Yes I have Linda, and following on from the interview we had last Saturday on solar cells on a house in Brunswick, it has been announced that BP Solar Australia is going to build one of the world's largest manufacturing plants in Sydney for photovoltaic cells. The plant will employ over 200 people, that's over twice as many than will be employed at Jabiluka if that ever goes ahead. And the plant is going to cost $57 million and they hope it will on line by October 1999. So that's good news. BP are expecting to also to generate a billion dollars in sales by 2007.

Linda Marks: That's a turn around from when they were the minor investor in WMC, 49% of WMC.

Ila Marks: Yes, they seem to have seen the light and it's the sun. The other news I have is on the waste dump. In the Age yesterday it was reported that not only have there been talks with Pangea and the Federal Government on getting the waste dump up, Pangea are asking the Government to cut red tape. So it looks like the accusations are getting deeper and deeper while the Federal Government continues to deny that they are speaking to anyone about an international waste dump for radioactive waste.

Linda Marks: That's all the time we have for the Radioactive Show this week, so it's goodbye from Linda.

Ila Marks: And it's goodbye from Ila.

Transcript produced by Linda Marks - with much thanks!!!
Page last updated April 2, 1999.
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