The Federal Government has been trying to find a site somewhere in Australia to dump nuclear waste for 30 years, including all the waste produced by the government-owned OPAL reactor at Lucas Heights.
There is about 4,250 cubic metres of radioactive waste in Australia — nearly enough to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools — and most of it is held at the Australian Nuclear Science Technology Organisation (ANSTO) at Lucas Heights.
The OPAL reactor powers scientific research, and is also used to make radiopharmaceuticals, which are used to diagnose diseases and to treat certain cancers.