A proposed low-level nuclear waste dump in outback South Australia is an "affront" to Aboriginal culture, a traditional owner says.
SA's Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis has also raised concerns about the selection process that led to a cattle station at Barndioota, near the Flinders Ranges, being named as the preferred site to store medical and laboratory waste currently in Sydney.
Adnyamathanha woman Regina McKenzie, who lives next to the property, says the dump would desecrate Dreamtime stories.
"Storylines go through the area. There's also a massive archaeological site. It's also an ancient trading route," she told AAP on Friday.
"This is a place where we took our children to learn to swim, where we went with my father. This is our place of learning, where we still hunt and gather bush tucker."
The land, co-owned by former Liberal senator Grant Chapman, was selected ahead of five other voluntarily nominated sites, including two others in SA.
A final decision won't be made until safety, environmental and indigenous heritage assessments have been completed and that could take a year.
Federal Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg played down the impact of the low-level waste to nearby communities, saying it was "gloves, goggles and test tubes" that came in contact with nuclear medicine.
"The whole purpose of building a single repository is to make it safer and make it a long-term solution," he said.
But Mr Koutsantonis said the selection of a former Liberal politician's land raised eyebrows.
"I'm not really a big fan of self selection. I think it raises some serious questions," he said.
"I'd much rather scientists and independent regulators choose a site rather than politicians."
Mr Chapman, who found out his land had been chosen after reporters called for an interview, said the proposal had strong support in the nearby town of Hawker.
There's less support further south, with Port Augusta Mayor Sam Johnson declaring the outback's future was in renewables.
He also warned the north could end up with two nuclear dumps if an SA royal commission, due to hand down its final recommendation in May, proposed the state take other countries' high-level nuclear waste.
"We need to manage our waste. It has to be placed somewhere," Mr Johnson said.
"But we believe renewable energy is our future and I'm not sure how nuclear fits into that."
