NUCLEAR TESTS

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32874, 24 March 1972, Page 9

NUCLEAR TESTS

‘Aust, areas still unsafe’

(N.Z.PA.-Reuter—Copyright) CANBERRA, March 23. Small areas of South Australia were still unsafe to live in because of the testing of nuclear weapons in the 19505, the Australian Minister of Supply (Mr Ransley Garland) said today.

He was replying in Parliament to a Labour member, Mr Laurie Wallis, who had asked what the Government proposed to do with the town of Maralinga, the headquarters for the tests, which, he said, had been allowed to deteriorate.

Mr Garland said that the Maralinga prohibited area, covered about 30,000 square miles.

“Certain small areas there are still unsafe for long-term occupancy as a result of the testing of nuclear weapons in that region some years ago," he added.

The South Australian Premier (Mr Donald Dunstan) and the Prime Minister (Mr McMahon) were now urgently considering the issue.

The British Government had provided the great bulk of the money spent on establishing the township. Shortly after Britain had handed over facilities to Australia in 1968, the Government had decided that Australia had no further defence use for them, and this was the reason for the present situation.