Antinuclear

South Australia could make “$billions” out of nuclear power – Adelaide Advertiser

DANIEL WILLS STATE POLITICAL EDITOR THE ADVERTISER FEBRUARY 09, 2015CONSTRUCTION of a uranium enrichment plant could inject billions of dollars into the South Australian economy and modern waste-treatment facilities could double as cheap power generators if the state’s nuclear capacity is expanded, industry says.

Premier Jay Weatherill has reversed decades of Labor opposition to the state taking a greater role in the uranium industry, yesterday announcing a royal commission to investigate opportunities for nuclear storage, uranium enrichment and power creation.

It has raised immediate ire from the green lobby and been dismissed by the Opposition as a backflip and tactical distraction from health controversies.

Mr Weatherill conceded the announcement was a major reversal from his previous stance on the nuclear industry. He said he now had an “open mind” amid opportunities for jobs and investment, and growing fears about climate change.

“I have in the past been ­opposed to nuclear power, all elements of it,” he said. “I now have an open mind. “When the facts change, people should change their minds.”

February 9, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Australia