NOTHING about the nuclear industry, especially nuclear waste, is clean or uncomplicated.

This is highlighted by the arrival of the BBC Shanghai carrying the first shipment of Australian radioactive waste to return from reprocessing in France.

Since the ship left France in mid-October significant concerns have been raised about its safety and capacity and the nature of the waste.

Its arrival in Port Kembla raises a further question - what should happen to this material once it is unloaded?

This is a question of real importance for those communities currently being considered to host a national radioactive waste facility.

After arrival the waste, which is in solid form inside a special transport container, will be moved by road to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's Lucas Heights reactor facility in southern Sydney.

Many environment, public health, Indigenous and trade union groups maintain that extended interim storage at Lucas Heights is currently the 'least worst' management option and are calling for the waste to remain there pending an expert and open examination of all future management options.

ANSTO produced the waste and is an actively managed and secured facility with the highest concentration of nuclear expertise and response capacity in Australia.

ANSTO recently opened a purpose-built storage facility with the capacity to host the returning waste for decades.

Extended interim storage at ANSTO offers a credible and secure management option and there are no compelling social, public health or technical reasons to rush the waste off to another location.

Extended storage at ANSTO would allow the federal government to do what has never been done in Australia - examine all the options for managing this material in the long term. Previous federal attempts over many years to force radioactive waste on multiple communities in regional South Australia and the Northern Territory have all failed.

Communities at each of the proposed six regional and remote sites currently being considered in a revised federal process have already expressed a mix of concern and opposition.

Only time can take the heat out of radioactive waste, but a wide ranging and inclusive examination can help take the heat out of the radioactive waste debate.

We now have an opportunity to advance responsible radioactive waste management in Australia - a chance we literally cannot afford to waste.

- Dave Sweeney,

Australian Conservation Foundation