Antinuclear

Much hype, but little really happening in Australia’s uranium industry

Notes on this weeks’s nuclear and climate news in Australia 

Uranium. Things have gone rather quiet on this, though industry and government put up a bold front. RIO Tinto boasts about plans to sell uranium to India, and its subsidiary ERA downplays its poor record in 2014.  ERA ‘s Ranger mine is closed, and even ERA is questioning the viability of the plan for  a new underground mine – doing a “prefeasibility” study – not even a”feasibility” one. Much government hype about selling to India, but safety requirements are still not finalised .

Australia-India CEO forum set up, and Tony Abbott appoints Vanessa Guthrie, of uranium company Toro Energy, to head this. (they always give the difficult jobs to a woman)

BHP wants the Australian government to allow a bigger radioactive waste tailings dam at Olympic Dam.  Australian uranium miner Paladin will have to comply with Canada’s new tax transparency laws.

Queensland election.  Queensland Nationals Senator Matt Canavan attacks the Renewable Energy Target.  Greens the only Party in Queensland serious about Climate Change

Freedom of speech. Great timing since the Charlie Hebdo staff masscre – Tasmanian government wants new defamation law that will protect corporations from criticism.

Renewable energy. Australia dives towards the bottom in large scale renewable energy investment, thanks to RET uncertainty. Clean energy sector ‘uninvestable’.

January 14, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews