Roundup of the week’s Australian nuclear news
Legal cases. Against Olympic Dam. Aboriginal elder Kevin Buzzacott continuing his Davis and Goliath case against BHP Billiton, on the environmental impact of the planned new big Olympic Dam uranium mine. Planned Muckaty nuclear waste dump. Federal government is likely to proceed with this, even if the Aborignal landowners win their court action against it. All in the long established tradition of racism in Australian nuclear/uranium matters. But the Aboriginal legal challenge will continue.
Renewable energy. As July 1st approaches, fossil fuel companies, and their State Liberal government friends are redoubling their attacks on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and on wind energy. With the falling costs of photovolcaic solar energy, renewable energy is starting to look too good for comfort, and could change the public’s view of the Gillard government.
Queensland. The election here has given the fossil fuel industries pretty much open slather, and especially pleasing to them, nuclear industry included, is the way that the new Premier is taking the axe to climate change action, and to renewable energy projects. The Solar Dawn thermal energy project is the most significant of many to be facing the chop.
Uranium exploration in New South Wales. The NSW Upper House passed this bill – 20 votes to 18. The Bill is quite draconian – it extinguishes the need for consent from a Land Council in the case of uranium projects- and excludes uranium from provisions of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983
USA military stations in Australia. The first of 2500 U.S. marines arrive in Darwin. It is likely that they will be exempt rom Australian criminal law. USA drones and more USA nuclear submarines. This is concerning security analysts, such as Hugh White, as Australia aligns itself with USA militarisation of the region, against our most important trading partner, China.
Lynas rare earths company. The sag continues, with Malaysia currently insisting that Australia agrees to the return of its radioactive wastes to Australia. The Australian government is lying doggo on this question
Future Fund: push to stop Australia’s Future Fund investing in the production of nuclear weapons.
Rooftop solar energy to turn out to be an election winner for Gillard?
it could also have a big impact on established energy utilities, both generators and retailers, and has the potential of changing the political rhetoric as the next federal poll is fought on cost-of-living issues, mostly retail electricity prices.
A new surge in the deployment of rooftop solar in Australia could have an impact on generators, who are already worried about the impact it is having on their profits…. AGL highlighted the potential for this to happen in Australia, which is why it is lobbying to slow down the growth in the solar industry in Queensland, the last state to have a significant feed in tariff.
The Clean Energy Future can indeed be clean, exciting (new technology), and cost a lot less than sticking with polluting fossil fuels.
Zero-cost solar: Will this be Gillard’s election secret weapon?, REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson 2 April 2012 Australian solar installers are racing to become the first companies to offer long-term leasing arrangements that will allow householders to install large rooftop solar installations at zero up-front cost and hedge against rising electricity prices. Continue reading
Australia’s Environment Minister approved huge uranium mine before environment assessment plans even prepared
Aboriginal elder Kevin Buzzacott challenges decision to expand Olympic Dam Adelaide Now AAP April 03, 2012 WASTE from the expanded Olympic Dam mine will remain radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years and
the risks weren’t properly considered by the Federal Government, the Federal Court has heard.
Aboriginal elder Kevin Buzzacott is challenging the government’s approval of the uranium and copper project in South Australia, which is destined to become the world’s largest open cut mine.
He argues the approval by Environment Minister Tony Burke last year was too uncertain because much of the environmental assessment has been left up to plans and studies that are yet to be prepared or considered. Continue reading
Australian Greens urge Future Fund to stop investing in nuclear weapons
4 April 12, Greens welcomed new Future Fund chief David Gonski today and urged him to hit the ground running by cutting the Fund’s links to nuclear weapons. Greens spokesperson for nuclear policy Senator Scott Ludlam said that as of January 2012, the Fund holds more than $133million of shares in 14 companies involved in nuclear weapons programs.
“The Greens urge Mr Gonski to lead the way on cutting all ties between the Future Fund and the nuclear weapons industry. The Future Fund has rightly ruled out investing in the cluster munitions industry, and this approach should be applied to nuclear weapons of mass destruction.”
Senator Ludlam praised members of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons who gathered at the Future Fund office in Melbourne today to draw attention to Fund’s investment in nuclear weapons. “Any firm involved with nuclear weapons should not receive a cent from the Australian tax-payer. These weapons are immoral, unethical and indiscriminate. They are designed to cause maximum and long-lasting destruction to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
“The Fund’s investment in the offending companies makes up less than one percent of its total portfolio, and a divestment will do no damage to the Future Fund while making an important statement against nuclear weapons.” The Greens currently have a bill before the Senate that would make the Future Fund’s divestment from nuclear weapons law.
2500 U.S. marines in Darwin could be immune from Australian criminal laws
Lawyer Diana Rickard from Basewatch said she had concerns over the Status of Forces Agreement 
between Australia and the United States, which sets out the legal terms under which the US forces operate while in Australia.
She said the agreement could allow Americans to escape punishment for crimes committed in the course of their duties….
Critics cautious as US marines head to NT, 9 News, 3 April 12, Critics of the US troop build-up in Darwin remain cautious about the move, despite a recent meeting with a senior military official. As many as 250 US Marines are due to arrive in Darwin late on Tuesday, the first of a build-up that will see 2500 American troops in the city by 2017. The troop influx comes after a defence agreement announced by Barack Obama when he visited Darwin in November last year. Continue reading
Australia likely to agree to U.S. drones stationed on Cocos Islands
In 2014 there will be a new Defence White Paper…. The announcement of the intention to station drones on the Cocos Islands (without even consultation with local inhabitants) indicates that the depths of the forced generosity of the Australian people to US war planners are likely to be plumbed further.
US drones for Cocos Islands, Further steps to war, CPA, Bob Briton, 4 April 12, It was left to the US media to tell Australians about the war preparations being made above their heads by the Gillard Government. The Washington Post broke the story last week that US and Australian officials have been discussing the rapid expansion of the US militarypresence in South-East Asia and the Indian Ocean including the stationing of pilotless drones on the Cocos Islands. Continue reading
The danger of Pentagon’s planned new toy – nuclear powered drones
Pentagon wants nuclear powered drones, TG Daily April 2, 2012 – by Trent Nouveau Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories and defense contractor Northrop Grumman have formulated plans for a new generation of
nuclear-powered drones. The next-gen aircraft would reportedly be capable of flying over remote regions for months – instead of days – without refueling.
“It’s pretty terrifying prospect. Drones are much less safe than other aircraft and tend to crash a lot, Chris Coles of Drone Wars UK told The Guardian.
“[Yet], there is a major push by this industry to increase the use of drones and both the public and government are struggling to keep up with the implications.”
…
Perhaps not unsurprisingly, the Pentagon has (supposedly) halted its nuclear power drone initiative over concerns that the propulsion system could fall into the hands of terrorists and provide material for a dirty bomb. Nevertheless, Sandia recently confirmed that the project had been completed, at least on paper….. http://www.tgdaily.com/security-features/62480-pentagon-wants-nuclear-powered-drones
Several drones are lost both in testing and in combat areas every year after the radio connection between controller and drone was broken. Most famously, a CIA-operated version of America’s most-advancedproduction UAV, the RQ-170 Sentinel crashed 140 miles inside Iran after the operators reportedly lost the radio signal that allowed them to control it….
U.S. decides against making crash-prone drones run on nukes Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s 1,000 pounds of fissionable nuclear material falling this way! IT World, By Kevin Fogarty April 02, 2012, — The U.S. military has apparently shelved the idea of developing a nuclear-powered drone aircraft that would be capable of staying in the air for months, but would pose so great a risk of those it might crash on that it was canceled due to “political conditions.” Continue reading
What’s stopping windy Western Australia from developing wind power?
Why isn’t WA harnessing wind power?, WA Today April 4, 2012 – Perth is an international hotspot for windsurfing and the destination of choice for the ISAF Sailing World Championships. If you thought Western Australia was a leader in wind power, think again.
New research reveals while Perth is the third windiest capital in the world, it is in the doldrums when it comes to wind power….. With an average wind speed of more than 27km/h and twelve operating wind farms lining the coast from Coral Bay to Albany, WA could be leading the nation. Continue reading
Western Australia’s Horizon Power’ s solar feed-in tariffs will especially benefit rural communities
Solar households in towns located further from energy generation sources, or where power generation is expensive, will be offered higher prices for the electricity they export to the grid…. For households in regional and remote areas of Western Australia, under Horizon’s new feed in tariff structure the savings could be much higher.
Horizon Power To Offer Location Based Solar Feed In Tariff, Energy Matters, 3 April 12, In what appears to be a first for Australia, Western Australia’s Horizon Power will introduce area-specific solar feed-in tariffs. While owners of systems in some towns will receive a much higher rate, others will receive less.Horizon Power’s Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme rate is currently equivalent to a customer’s current electricity tariff, minus GST. Horizon’s incentive is in addition to Western Australia’s state government mandated feed in tariff rate of 8c per kilowatt hour. Continue reading
Los Angeles solar rooftop program – a winner for jobs, savings, and the climate
CLEAN LA Solar program, which includes a 150-megawatt FiT, will create 4,500 jobs, generate $500 million in economic activity and offset 2.25 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2016
Rooftop Solar Energy Program Wins Critical Approval From Los Angeles, City Council, Market Watch
Los Angeles Business Council applauds decision allowing LADWP to create new national model for rooftop solar energy LOS ANGELES, Apr 03, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Los Angeles City Council cleared the way for the launch of an innovative rooftop solar-energy program today, approving a measure to allow the Department of Water and Power
(DWP) to move forward with the groundbreaking CLEAN LA Solar program.
The CLEAN LA Solar program will allow local property owners to sell solar power generated from rooftops and parking lots back to the DWP, using a mechanism called a feed-in tariff, or FiT. Los Angeles will be the largest city in the nation to adopt such a program, which will supply renewable energy at a reasonable cost while spurring private investment, creating high-quality jobs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping the state and city meet renewable power
requirements. Continue reading
Solar energy use going up, as costs go down
Solar week roundup: China, Latin America pushing ahead with solar, Clean Energy, Chris Meehan, APR 02, 2012 News in the world of solar is increasingly becoming worldwide. As the U.S. imposed preliminary duties on Chinese silicon photovoltaics, the top 10 solar producers are looking to increase the Asian PV market for more sales. At the same time interest in Latin and South America is picking up as costs for solar continue to come down and costs for other energy sources go up.
In the U.S., the news is more mixed with some places embracing solar while others are trying to reduce incentives to support renewables. But even Minnesota could go 100 percent renewable at a small cost. …. South America’s largest country, Brazil, is considering legislation that could grow the amount of solar in the country.
The country is considering a national net-metering program for home and small business owners, to credit PV owners for generation. And it’s considering legislation that would slash taxes on utilities by 80 percent on electricity sourced from distributed solar generation.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) increased financing for solar, renewable projects in Latin America to $736 million in 2011. That’s more than it invested over the decade between 2000 and 2010, when it invested more $663 million in renewable energy projects in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The IDB also plans to invest more than $700 million in such projects in 2012. …. http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com/solar-energy-news/solar-energy-news-week-roundup-040212/
Australia urges Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities
Australia joins list of countries warning against Israeli strike on Iran, Haaretz, 31 March 12, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr phoned Lieberman to lay out Australia’s opposition to an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and to say that sanctions need more time. By Barak Ravid More and more Western countries are joining a growing list of countries who are applying heavy international pressure on Israel to prevent it from attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. The latest voice is that of the new Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr….. http://www.haaretz.
1 This month.
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
19 May – Webinar- Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-05-19 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-05-19 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 