South Australia’s Nuclear Inquiry: Chasing Fuel’s Gold
Meg Sobey, Conservation South Australia, 8 Feb 15 The state’s peak environment body is deeply disappointed that so much time, energy and resources will be spent on a costly and ultimately fruitless inquiry into the unwanted and unsafe nuclear industry, when we should be focusing on clean, green renewables instead.
“Conservation SA, like the vast majority of South Australians, remains deeply opposed to nuclear power, nuclear waste and all other parts of the nuclear cycle,” said Chief Executive, Craig Wilkins.
“South Australians have spoken time and time again: we don’t want to be the world’s nuclear waste dump. “Yet that’s the real agenda here: the only market gap in the nuclear fuel cycle is for us to become the dumping ground for the world’s nuclear waste.
“The first two questions the Royal Commission should ask is: Where on the South Australian coast will a nuclear power plant be located?
What impact will becoming the world’s nuclear waste dump have on our state’s tourism and education export markets and clean and green food reputation?
“South Australia is already a world leader in clean and green energy.
“That’s the real energy gold we should be chasing, not the fuel’s gold of turning our state into a toxic nuclear waste dump,” he said.
Meg Sobey, Communications Officer on 0411 028 930 meg.sobey@conservationsa.org.au Craig Wilkins 0417 879 439
Australian Youth Climate Coalition condemns South Australian government’s proposal on nuclear issues
Nuclear issues to be examined by SA royal commission, Premier Jay Weatherill announces //www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-08/nuclear-issues-royal-commission-jay-weatherill/6078260Sun 8 Feb 2015,
A royal commission will look at the future role South Australia should play in the nuclear industry, Premier Jay Weatherill says.
The SA Premier called a news conference to make the surprise announcement, telling reporters the inquiry would be a first for Australia.
He said the inquiry would look at SA’s involvement in the mining, enrichment, energy and storage phases in the life cycle of nuclear fuel.
“We believe South Australians should be given the opportunity to explore the practical, financial and ethical issues raised by a deeper involvement in the nuclear industries,” he said.
Mr Weatherill said SA had one of the world’s biggest uranium deposits and had been involved in uranium production for more than 25 years.
“It is now the time to engage in a mature and robust conversation about SA’s future role in the nuclear industry,” he said.
He said consultation would start in the coming day on the terms of reference.
“We need to understand all these issues so that the community can make an informed judgment,” he said.
A number of independent experts would be engaged to support the royal commission’s work, Mr Weatherill said.
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition was swift to condemn the Government’s announcement.
It said the state needed to focus on its renewable energy potential rather than nuclear potential.
ABC political reporter Nick Harmsen said it put the proposition of a nuclear waste dump in South Australia back on the political agenda, after a previous Labor administration fought federal moves.
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