Radiation comes from naturally occurring radioactive elements, arising from the formation of the Earth, and from cosmic radiation. Every day we are exposed to radiation from rocks and soil, cosmic radiation from outer space, the air we breathe, the water we drink and wash in, and the food we eat. There are also radioactive elements in our muscles and bones. The use and production of radioactive materials generate radioactive waste which must be managed safely and appropriately.
Numerous international obligations, standards and treaties, and Commonwealth, State and Territory acts and regulations govern the safe use, transport and disposal of radioactive materials in Australia.
Radioactive waste is currently in temporary storage at numerous locations across the country, often within towns and cities. Since these storage facilities were not purposely built for this, an incident could potentially put the public in a danger. Purpose built storage and disposal facilities are required to safely manage radioactive waste.
In response to the 1985 Royal Commission into British Nuclear Test in Australia, a $108 million rehabilitation project (1995 - 2000) was successfully implemented to rehabilitate the former nuclear test sites at Maralinga (South Australia).
A Glossary of Terms commonly used when discussing matters related to radioactive materials is available for reference.
To contact the Department concerning radioactive waste management issues, please refer to our Contact Us webpage.