A proposed National Radioactive Waste Management Facility at Wallerberdina Station has been knocked back after local communities voted against the facility in an Australian Electoral Commission ballot.
The ballot took place throughout a four-and-a-half-week period from November 11 to December 12 and 880 ballot papers were returned for scrutiny, 862 of which were formal votes, with 408, 47.33 per cent, voting Yes and 454, 52.67pc, voting No.
Resources and Northern Australia minister Matt Canavan acknowledged the ballot result which demonstrated there was not enough broad community support for the proposal.
"While the community ballot was just one of many measures I am considering, I have said that achieving at least a majority level of support was a necessary condition to achieving broad community support," Minister Canavan said.
"This ballot does not demonstrate a sufficient level of support and I will no longer consider this site an option for the facility," he said.
"I will make a formal announcement early next year on the site selection process, and would like to thank everyone who participated in the ballots and other consultation mechanisms."
Mr Canavan thanked Hawker and Quorn communities for their patience and resilience throughout this process.
"They are a fantastic community that I have had the privilege to know better through this process. I want to especially thank Flinders Ranges Council, the Outback Communities Authority, all members of the Consultative Committee and Economic Working Group, the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association and the Viliwarinha Yura Aboriginal Corporation," he said.
"While we will not be proceeding with a radioactive waste site at Wallerberdina Station, I will continue to work with the community to invest $2 million through our Community Benefits Fund, and we will look for further ways to provide investment and benefits to the Flinders Ranges region."