The exhibition opened at the Pine Street gallery in Chippendale, Sydney on January 17 and is on show until January 28. Interstate tour dates and locations are being confirmed, stay tuned for updates and a venue near you!

The exhibition catalogue is now available for sale. The catalogue contains all of the images, as well as statements (and a poem) from Muckaty Traditional Owners, Amnesty International, photographer Jagath Dheerasekara, curator Sandy Edwards and the Beyond Nuclear Initiative. The catalogue is $25 including postage and a DVD of the short film Muckaty Voices. Postage will be reduced for large orders.Please contact natwasley(at)gmail.com to order a copy, or ten.

A limited number of the exhibition prints are also available. If you would like to purchase any for your home or workplace please contact natwasley(at)gmail.com.

All money raised will go toward touring the exhibition and supporting the community campaign.

Mark Lane, March 2011 from jessie boylan on Vimeo.

Thanks for sharing this great clip Jessie.

Click here to download the exhibition invite

Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud
Photographs by Jagath Dheerasekara, Curated by Sandy Edwards

Exhibition Launch Tuesday 17 January, 2012
6:30pm for 7pm at Pine Street Gallery, 64 Pine Street, Chippendale, Sydney
On display at Pine Street Gallery until 28 January, followed by a national tour

To be opened by:
Penny Phillips and Bunny Nabarula, Muckaty Traditional Owners (NT)
Professor Larissa Behrendt, Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning UTS and;
Senthorun Raj, NSW Branch President Amnesty International Australia

RSVP by Friday January 13: Natalie Wasley,  0429 900 774, natwasley@gmail.com

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“Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud” is a photographic exhibition presenting the community and country in the Northern Territory targeted to host a federal radioactive waste dump. The photos aim to break down the conception that these areas are ‘the middle of nowhere’ and thus suitable for dumping of hazardous materials.

Photographer Jagath Dheerasekara (http://jd.photoshelter.com/) is of political refugee background from Sri Lanka and specialises in social documentary and social justice reportage. Jagath received the Amnesty International Human Rights Innovation Grant 2010 to begin work on this exhibition and was a finalist in the prestigious Bowness Photography Prize 2011 with one of the images.

The exhibition is a collaborative project with the Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) (www.beyondnuclearinitiative.com) and the Muckaty Traditional Owners featured in the photographs. BNI is a joint project of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Friends of the Earth Australia and the Arid Lands Environment Centre (Alice Springs).

The exhibition is also supported by Amnesty International, Jumbunna Indigenous house of Learning (UTS), Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (University of Sydney).

Contact: Natalie Wasley, Beyond Nuclear Initiative coordinator, 0429 900 774, natwasley(at)gmail.com

Speakers included Dianne Stokes, Jeff McMullen, Dave Sweeney, Matthew Gardiner and George Newhouse.

This was a fringe event of the ALP National conference and was held at the Mori Gallery in Sydney.

Beyond Nuclear Initiative is collaborating with photographer Jagath Dheerasekara and Muckaty Traditional Owners on a photographic exhibition titled “Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud”. The exhibition presents the country and community in the Northern Territory targeted to host a national radioactive waste dump.

Muckaty Traditional Owner Dianne Stokes is selling this gorgeous painting to raise money for the Muckaty campaign.

There are many upcoming events and projects being organised by the Traditional Owners (including hosting a union delegation) but there is limited fundraising capacity in Tennant Creek. Money from sale of this painting will directly support Dianne and the community in the fight against the dump.

The price for the painting is $400, with any other donations to the campaign of course accepted! The canvas is 68 x 55 cm.  If you are interested in buying the painting please contact Nat Wasley to view the whole story of the painting and arrange payment and postage, natwasley(at) gmail.com, 0429900774.

Painting by Dianne Stokes: How my people went hunting and the season of our fruit, and time for our hunting for food.

(Warlmanpa)                        Nganya Panpiya

(English meaning)               My Ancestors

(Warramungu)                      Ajjinyi Ngurramarla

(English meaning)                My Ancestors

This is a short video appeal to Senators calling on them to oppose Minister Ferguson’s National Radioactive Waste Management Bill, which would entrench Muckaty as the only site to be actively considered for the dump.The Bill is expected before the Senate again in mid August.

Help bury the NT dump – contact your Senate representatives and tell them you want them to vote against the Muckaty dump plan…

Keep the poison out of Muckaty
Kurlalu yarnmi Majju Majju Manu Wangku ka
Wangangka yama nyirrinjji mana Manu Wangku Kuna

Six years of ‘long, hard’ struggle: Communities calls for new approach on radioactive waste management

Tomorrow (July 15) marks six years since the Howard federal government announced plans for a radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory. There was immediate and resolute opposition from the Northern Territory Government and Traditional Owners and communities near all of the targeted sites.

Three Department of Defence sites were initially announced, with a site in the Muckaty Land Trust added to the short list after a controversial nomination by the Northern Land Council.

New legislation tabled by Resources Minister Martin Ferguson names the contentious Muckaty site as the only area to be further assessed, even though a federal court case by Traditional Owners is underway to challenge the nomination.

Muckaty Traditional Owner Dianne Stokes says, “it has been a long, hard struggle. We know we have support from people in Tennant Creek, across the NT and around the country. The government needs to listen to us that we are still saying no to the nuclear waste dump”.

Kath Martin, Traditional Owner for the proposed Mt Everard site says, “after 6 yrs we are still campaigning against a nuclear dump in the NT. Our support of the Muckaty community’s fight against the dump now is evidence of this”.

Mitch, who has family living at the communities closest to the Harts Range Defence site, has travelled extensively to voice opposition to the plan. “After six years of little or no consultation with the government, Aboriginal people at the four affected areas are still waiting in a uranium limbo.After having three Ministers in charge, no one has spoken with Traditional Owners or upheld their promise of proper consultation with the wider community. The handling of the nuclear waste issue has been appalling- we don’t see any signs of best practice being used. Traditional Owners at all sites and pastoral station owners are still united in the fight against this nuclear lie. We invite all people along the transport route to also unite and say this is not acceptable government practice.”

Vina Hornsby from the Katherine No Dump Action Group, which campaigns against the Fishers Ridge site says “Six years on and the proposal to build the waste dump at Muckaty remains one of political expedience; what scientific evaluations show this is an optimal site? Where is the evidence that ought to be collated by now? Local people remain opposed to this development and fellow Territorians support them wholeheartedly”.

Beyond Nuclear Initiative coordinator Natalie Wasley has worked extensively with the communities near all of the proposed sites. “Successive federal governments have been unable to force a dump through.The original plan was to have a dump built by now but there is still not even a site selected. Local community opposition is supported by national trade unions, health professionals, environment groups and communities along the transport routes and this support is growing”.

“Internationally it is recognised that decide-announce-defend approaches on radioactive management do not work and the draconian nature of the NT plan has now been highlighted at numerous international conferences and film festivals. Genuine community involvement and consent in radioactive waste management processes are essential. It is time to dump the NT plan and undertake an independent inquiry into radioactive waste management,” Ms Wasley concluded.