Australian jury votes against storing of nuclear waste

A south Australian Royal Commission has voted against storing high-level nuclear waste in the state under any circumstances.

The 300 jurors of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission voted against the storage of nuclear waste, citing concerns with the economics of the proposal, trust, safety and a lack of consent, particularly from Aboriginal elders.

"Many jurors believe we don't have the right to make a decision that will have such long term and irreversible consequences for future generations," the jurors said in their report to South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, published by News Limited on Monday.

"The long-term viability of the project is in doubt as it does not consider new technology providing alternatives for the use of the waste: this undermines the economics to the project."

Weatherill said that even though two thirds of the citizens' jury voted against the proposal, it was not the end of the debate.

"The status quo is no: the jury doesn't believe the present proposal should be taken forward but we need to take into account a whole range of other broad community views," Weatherill said.

"This is a massive and controversial decision that took Finland about 38 years to take. We don't expect that this is a debate that will be concluded any time soon."

Weatherill's Cabinet will consider the jury's report on Monday before the Government delivers its own report on the Royal Commission by the end of 2016. Endit