At Tellus we’re always keen to show interested visitors around our facility at Sandy Ridge, Australia’s only nationwide geological repository licensed to accept low-level radioactive waste.
And when those guests arrive already armed with an understanding of why such a facility is critical for Australia’s clean energy transition, we’re keen to learn from them, too.
This was the case last week when Women in Nuclear (WiN) Australia President Jasmin Diab and WiN student member Olivia Secoulidis from Monash University in Victoria, made the journey out to Sandy Ridge.
WiN Australia is the local chapter of Women in Nuclear Global, an international organisation that supports women working in applications of nuclear science, engineering and technology.
Looking around the site, Ms Diab said,
“Seeing people passionate about safety, security and the role their facility plays in keeping Australia safe from hazardous chemicals and materials was awesome.”
And as WiN summed up the visit later:
“Learning about waste in Australia, from the amounts and types of waste from critical minerals mining, industry and other sectors through to what the risks and mitigations are, was fascinating. Understanding how they work with communities to build social licence and use natural barriers for waste storage and disposal gave us insight into how we talk about waste.”
The WiN representatives join a lengthening line of distinguished visitors to Sandy Ridge, including the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency, the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office, CSIRO, BGE TECHNOLOGY GmbH, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the WA EPA & Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Radiological Council, the Hon Madeleine King MP, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Susan McDonald.