Content under review
The information on this webpage may no longer be current. This follows a Federal Court order to set aside the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility site declaration. Read about the decision.
23 August 2023
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.
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:
- enabling Australia to meet international obligations under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
- working with the independent regulator of Australian radioactive material, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), to ensure safety.
ARWA-ARPANSA Liaison Forum
We meet regularly with ARPANSA for strategic discussions about:
- regulatory requirements
- international and national developments in radiation and nuclear safety
- security and emergency preparedness response for radioactive waste management.