Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Australian Labor Party’s right wing – big push on behalf of nuclear lobby

Anna Bligh opens door to nuclear powe  Jamie Walker and Imre Salusinszky  : The Australian * December 24, 2010 ANNA Bligh has backed calls for the Labor Party to review its policy on nuclear power.……Minister Martin Ferguson, right-wing Australian Workers Union leader Paul Howes, former NSW premier Bob Carr and Labor senators Steve Hutchins and Mark Bishop in supporting a review of the ALP’s long-standing ban on nuclear power, most likely at the party’s national conference next December…… Continue reading

December 23, 2010 Posted by | politics, Queensland | Leave a comment

Australian Conservation Foundation condemns ‘quick and dirty’ nuclear waste dump report

“The proposed law removes appeal rights from the Muckaty community, suspends key Indigenous and environmental protections and overrides all Commonwealth, State and Territory laws that might delay or frustrate the opening of a waste dump…..The timing appears a cynical attempt to further avoid public scrutiny

Quick and dirty report won’t solve long and dirty problem of nuclear waste, 23 Dec 10, A parliamentary report containing a single recommendation – that the House of Representatives pass the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill – has failed to address the Bill’s serious deficiencies, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today. Continue reading

December 22, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | Leave a comment

Martin Ferguson, Top Nuclear Salesman will lead push for nuclear power

Unlike fellow Labor party member Mr Ferguson, Ms Gillard says that in Australia, “nuclear power doesn’t stack up as an economically efficient source of power”.

Nuclear Debate On the Agenda for 2011 | Australia | Epoch Times, By Shar Adams, 22 Dec 10,“………..The Australian Labor Party (ALP) has long had a policy of caution about the nuclear industry, stating in its National Platform that uranium and the nuclear fuel cycle “present unique and unprecedented hazards and risks”.Their nuclear policy lists threats to human health, nuclear weapons manufacture and dangerous nuclear waste as major concerns. The policy will “prohibit the establishment in Australia of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle” Continue reading

December 22, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, people, politics | Leave a comment

Labor heavies and Chinese interests push for uranium mining in Arkaroola wilderness

  • Labor powerbroker and union heavyweight Paul Howes has also lent his support to mining in Arkaroola……”Greens MLC Mark Parnell said the project was being pushed by “a conga-line of Labor luminaries”. “The only reason it is still alive is due to powerful and influential lobbying by ALP mates,”
  • Labor mates’ lobbying a ‘threat’ to Arkaroola | Adelaide Now, Sarah Martin,  December 21, 2010 POWERFUL lobbyists connected to the Labor Party are winning the fight to mine Arkaroola, say the directors of its wilderness sanctuary. Continue reading

December 21, 2010 Posted by | politics, South Australia | | Leave a comment

South Australian govt weak on protecting Arkaroola from uranium mining

Among opponents is Liberal powerbroker Nick Minchin, who believes Arkaroola’s outstanding environmental and heritage values must be protected by a ban on mining.

Marathon Resources gets conditional approval for uranium exploration at Arkaroola * Andrew Main *  The Australian * December 21, 2010 MARATHON Resources has been given the green light by the South Australian government to resume exploration for uranium. Continue reading

December 21, 2010 Posted by | politics, South Australia | | Leave a comment

Australia’s Prime Minister alienates many, with her reaction to Julian Assange

With this, especially the declaration of illegality, Julia Gillard offended the sensibilities of hundreds of thousands of Labor supporters, many of whom won’t be coming back to the ALP

PM tanks at home, Sydney Morning Herald, 11 Dec 10, Gillard’s ill-advised judge and jury comments convicting Julian Assange alienated a swag of Labor supporters for good.

THE WikiLeaks revelations have been an immense political disaster for the Gillard government. All it took was two sentences from the Prime Minister during a radio interview nine days ago, as the first of the 250,000 US State Department documents held by the website were published in overseas newspapers: “I absolutely condemn the placement of this information on the WikiLeaks website. It is a grossly irresponsible thing to do and an illegal thing to do.” Continue reading

December 11, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | Leave a comment

Wikileaks reveals the influence of BHP Billiton over Australian government

The revelation is embarrassing for BHP Billiton, which has consistently refused to be drawn on suggestions it had engaged in a campaign


How BHP sank Rio deal, The Age, Philip Dorling and Richard Baker December 11, 2010 MINING giant BHP Billiton lobbied intensively behind the scenes to wreck a $21billion investment deal between rival Rio Tinto and Chinese government-owned Chinalco, leaked US government cables reveal. Continue reading

December 11, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | Leave a comment

Queensland coastal cities suggested for nuclear plants

In response to community concern, the Queensland Government has legislated to prohibit the development of nuclear facilities in Queensland….

Nuclear plant for Gladstone? Gladstone Observer Kieran Moran | 10th December 2010 GLADSTONE has been identified as a likely site for a nuclear power plant. Continue reading

December 9, 2010 Posted by | politics, Queensland | Leave a comment

Australian Greens urge transparency on BHP’s new statement on Olympic Dam expansion

Greens press for the release of BHP report on Olympic Dam project in South AustraliaInternational Business Times, By Ricky Roxas | December 3, 2010 Korea negotiators reach…  BHP Billiton Ltd acted too slow for public convenience in submitting its formal response on environmental concerns about its proposed mining expansion at Olympic Dam in South Australia… Greens press for the release of BHP report on Olympic Dam project in South Australia – International Business Times

December 7, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | | Leave a comment

Even Australia’s Liberal Party knows that the nuclear waste problem is unsolvable

“My experience with dealing with justlow level radioactive waste from our research reactor tells me it would be impossible to get any sort of consensus in this country around themanagement of the high level waste a nuclear reactor would produce.” Former Liberal Party Senator Nick Minchin  (in charge of the failed attempt to impose a national nuclear waste dump in South Australia from 1998-2004.)

Nuclear power, Watt a waste – On Line Opinion , Jim Green and Natalie Wasley, – 6/12/2010, Continue reading

December 6, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | Leave a comment

South Australian govt bias in favour of BHP’s uranium mine

Acting Premier Paul Holloway said “It is top priority as far as the Government is concerned.”

Olympic Dam expansion our ‘highest priority’ | Adelaide Now, Christopher Russell, 3 Dec 10, TECHNICAL experts will spend the next eight weeks scrutinising more than 15,000 pages of data which address public and government concerns about the expansion of Olympic Dam. Continue reading

December 3, 2010 Posted by | politics, South Australia | | Leave a comment

Labor MPs speak out against nuclear power for Australia

“We’ve got untapped supplies of wind and solar energy so I think the economics of developing those sorts of energy sources are going to far outweigh the benefits and the costs of developing a nuclear industry.”…….”I don’t think that the end result, which is the whole expense and difficulties of decommissioning and dealing with the waste, have been addressed.”

llawarra MPs oppose nuclear power proposal – ABC Illawarra NSW – Australian Broadcasting Corporation December 2, 2010 Illawarra Labor MPs have voiced their opposition to nuclear power amid talks of a debate on the agenda for next year’s national conference. Continue reading

December 2, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, New South Wales, politics, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear power makes no economic or environmental sense for Australia

The Australian Greens have strongly reminded the Government that nuclear power is not the solution to climate change.The Greens spokesperson on nuclear issues, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, said nuclear power made no economic or environmental sense. Continue reading

December 1, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | Leave a comment

Nuclear energy not economic for Australia, says Gillard

“The Labor Party has got a very clear policy here and it’s a really long standing policy of opposition to nuclear power,” she told 3AW……Ms Gillard said that in Australia “nuclear power doesn’t stack up as an economically efficient source of power”….We are very focused on our record investment in solar and renewable technologies. We’ve got abundant energy from those sources.”

Julia Gillard plays down nuclear power push   Joe Kelly and Lauren Wilson    The Australian * December 01, 2010 JULIA Gillard has played down a push by senior Labor MPs for an inquiry into nuclear power, saying it’s not an economically efficient source of energy. Continue reading

December 1, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | , , | Leave a comment

Victorian election – not a good result for Climate Change action

Mr Baillieu has said he will abandon Labor’s plan for a staged closure of the Hazelwood coal power station….and introducing tougher planning regulations that would prevent wind turbines being erected in tourist areas…..

Coalition has explaining to do on climate targets, The Age, Adam Morton, November 30, 2010“……….Environment Victoria, the state’s main green lobby group, said there were many gaps in the new government’s environment and climate policy stance as it had not outlined its full plans before the election as promised. Continue reading

November 30, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, politics, Victoria, wind | , , , , , , | Leave a comment