Hastings: Cyclists bring white elephant to town

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A group of cyclists will be greeted by a giant inflatable white elephant as they arrive in Hastings on Thursday 11th October. They are passing through Hastings as part of a 4500km journey that started in Rockhampton, Queensland. Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle (CANC) have been passing through locations likely to host nuclear reactors if nuclear power is adopted in Australia. Western Port is one of these areas.

"We are here because the Hastings community is concerned about the dangers of nuclear power. Nuclear waste is the biggest problem" says spokesperson, Rebecca Pearse. "After 60 years of the nuclear industry, there is still no safe way to deal with radioactive waste. From uranium mines to nuclear reactors, all stages of the nuclear fuel chain leave a radioactive legacy for hundreds of thousands of years" says Pearse.

The white elephant is symbolic of how expensive and useless nuclear technologies are. “If we doubled the world's current nuclear power output, we would only reduce CO2 emissions by 5%. Instead of reducing emissions, nuclear power will leave us with radioactive waste dumps, uranium mines and reactors imposed communities. These are things we don't want or need” says Pearse.

The cyclists' view is supported by the local community group Westernport Action Group (WAG). “We are part of the 74% of Australians who know renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures are the solutions to climate change. Nuclear power is dangerous, expensive and unnecessary” says Mary Madigan of WAG.

You can meet the cyclists at Hastings foreshore 3pm on the 11th October or attend a film screening of 'Living Country', followed by a presentation on their campaign, followed by an update from the Western Port Action Group, who have kindly organised the event, 6:30pm, Hastings Community Hall, High St.

CANC will be holding a special event on Sunday 14th October, 'Push Bikes Not Uranium', a fancy dress bike ride and party, leaving Beauty Park, Frankton 10am and arriving Carlton Gardens in Melbourne at 3pm. Riders of all experience are welcome to join. See canc.org.au for details.

Contact
Beck Pearse (Campaign Organiser)
0405 105 101
Info and images: canc.org.au