NT Oncology Unit Plans Half Baked

Senator Trish Crossin says the Federal Government's half baked plan to under equip the Territory Oncology Unit and link it to dumping the nation's radioactive waste here is not good enough.

"Talk of funding just one linear accelerator for the unit and continuing to fly patients interstate when it is out of action wouldn't bring any peace of mind to patients of a Territory Oncology Unit.

"Linear accelerators, the basic tools of any Territory Oncology Unit, are highly sophisticated machines needing regular down time for repairs and maintenance.

"We need two linear accelerators for the unit to ensure a continuos service or patients will suffer last minute switches in treatment and flights to interstate oncology units.

"The ongoing funding for staff suggested by the federal government also falls well short of the budget needed for professional staffing of the unit.

"As I said last week, the Territory Oncology Unit has the potential to service patients across northern Australia from Weipa to Kununurra so a significant commonwealth injection of funds is appropriate.

"This is a half baked plan that really needs a lot more work.

"Then for the Federal Government to suggest NT cancer patients are some sort of bargaining chip in the deal to impose the national radioactive waste dump on Territorians is completely offensive.

"Territorians need oncology treatment whether or not the dump is sited here.

"The tiny amount of very low level waste generated by an oncology unit is easily and best stored on site. Some of the radioisotopes used in an oncology unit have a life of just eight minutes.

"Territorians need an oncology unit, but an oncology unit does not need a massive waste dump designed to store the highest level of nuclear waste generated elsewhere in Australia” Senator Crossin said.

2006-05-07