About the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency

The Australian Radioactive Waste Agency (ARWA) is Australia’s radioactive waste management organisation.

The agency sits within our department. Later it will become a non-corporate Commonwealth entity based in Adelaide, South Australia.

Our role and responsibilities

The agency was established in July 2020 to:

• manage Australia’s radioactive waste in line with domestic and international regulations
• deliver and operate Australia’s National Radioactive Waste Management Facility
• facilitate communication between government, industry, stakeholders, and local communities
• centralise best practice and knowledge about radioactive waste management, including developing a disposal pathway for intermediate level radioactive waste.

We will manage the full life-cycle of the facility:

• design
• construction
• licensing
• operation
• waste management, storage and disposal
• research and development
• decommissioning and closure.

Our work also involves:

• working with the independent regulator of Australian radioactive material, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), to ensure safety
• enabling Australia to meet international obligations under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.

Our staff

Our staff have the experience and skills to put ARWA at the forefront of the global nuclear waste management field. We aim to deliver a world class facility for Australia.

Consultative committees

Consultative committees continue to advise ARWA about the facility site for a limited time.

Read more

• See our work to establish the facility
• See our work to select a site for the facility
• View our news and media

Connect with us

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Contact us

• Email arwa [at] industry.gov.au
• Phone 13 28 46
• Write to us at: Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources; Australian Radioactive Waste Agency, GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601