Antinuclear

Uranium-to nuclear reactor- to nuclear weapons: Australia’s close involvement – theme for December 17

URANIUM. From 1944  the purpose of Australia’s uranium industry was to supply nuclear weapons.  Up until 1962 Australia supplied 7,730 tonnes of uranium to the USA and UK for their nuclear weapons programs.

More recently, Australia’s uranium is supposed to go only to “peaceful” nuclear  power. So – it can go to India, for example, where there’s dubious supervision anyway, and where it frees up other uranium supplies for India’s burgeoning nuclear weapons.

NUCLEAR BOMBS. The Menzies government allowed Britain to explode its nuclear bombs in South Australia, and also at Monte Bello Island, in the 1950s and 60s. So  the nuclear weapons industry has had its dirty foot well into Australia.

NUCLEAR REACTOR.  Lucas Heights nuclear reactor was always intended as a step towards nuclear weapons, AND IT STILL IS. In the early 1950s, politicians, scientists and Defence Department enthusiasm for Australia to get a nuclear weapon led to the building, in 1957, of a nuclear reactor  at Lucas Heights. A plan to build a nuclear reactor at Jervis Bay was pitched to the public as a commercial venture, but was always intended to provide enriched uranium for Australia’s own nuclear weapons.

Others favoured getting nuclear bombs supplied by Britain.  The pro nuclear lobby always had nuclear weapons in mind, and campaigned for them  strongly through the 1960s, to 1972, when Prime Minister Whitlam ended these ambitions. The campaign continued, more quietly.

ANSTO. In 1987 the Australian Atomic Energy Commission was abolished, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) was set up.  ANSTO is very secretive about its operations, but does pursue the advanced technology that would make nuclear weapons development possible. Today’s nuclear weapons advocates talk incessantly about “medical research”, and foster the myth of the “peaceful atom”.

As the nuclear weapons establishment in UK and USA now make clear – “peaceful” nuclear power is essential for nuclear weapons – as an industry supplying resources and trained operatives for the weapons industry.

The push for Australia to house nuclear wastes, and the whole nuclear fuel chain is an intrinsic part of the global nuclear weapons industry.

November 26, 2017 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina themes, secrets and lies, weapons and war | Leave a comment