The federal Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, says the Commonwealth will not be rushed into choosing a site for a low level nuclear waste storage facility.

Australia will need to have a dump by 2014 and some sites being looked at are in the Northern Territory.

Mr Ferguson, who was in Darwin today, says a site has not yet been chosen because he wants to make sure an extensive selection process takes place.

"There will be no repository established anywhere in Australia without proper consultation with state and territory authorities and any affected local community," he said.

"The establishment of a repository is no different ... [than] the establishment of a gas hub or the opening of a mine.

"It's what you would normally do in the development of a local land area.

"It will not be a process unknown to the community."

He says low level nuclear waste is being stored in shipping containers at hospitals and universities around the country, including in Darwin, and that reprocessed Australian fuel rods in France and Scotland are due back here by 2014.

"There is a time line which requires a proper determination of the best possible sites, then proper negotiations with local communities."