Australia’s top nuclear business closes down – “a waste of time”
Top trio turn off N-switch
(for more Australian news go to nuclear news Australia )
Herald Sun Cameron England
July 23, 2009 12:00am
THREE of Australia’s best-known businessmen have abandoned plans to build the country’s first nuclear power plant in the face of Federal Government opposition to the controversial energy source.
Fairfax Media chairman and former Liberal Party treasurer Ron Walker has applied to deregister Australian Nuclear Energy — the company he set up with mining identities Robert Champion de Crespigny and Hugh Morgan — three years after its creation.
Mr Walker said yesterday a lack of government support had scuttled their ambitions. “Government was very clear that they would not allow nuclear energy in Australia,” he said.
“We decided that it was just a waste of our time…………
…………Mr Walker applied to shut down ANE, which investigated the possibility of building a nuclear plant in either Victoria or South Australia, on May 2
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25821675-664,00.html
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
edie.net news by David Gibbs 21 July 09-“……………..The decision to approve Australia’s fifth uranium mine sparked fierce criticism of Mr Garrett from political opponents and conservation groups.They accused the former anti-uranium activist, who once stood for the Nuclear Disarmament Party and penned anti-nuclear anthems for his band, of hypocrisy and argue the mine will harm the environment.
Federal opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull said: “This approval shows that Mr Garrett is as big a phoney as the prime minister.
“He spent his whole life denouncing uranium mining and wanting to shut it down. Now he’s opening a new one.” ………………Senator Scott Ludlam, nuclear spokesman for The Greens, said the claim the mine, 550km (340 miles) north of Adelaide, would be world’s best practice was “unfounded and bordered on delusional”.
He added: “This acid injection uranium mine will dump liquid radioactive waste into regional groundwater body and the minister is trying to argue this won’t damage the environment.”
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
How the media covers the nuclear industry – or doesn’t cover it
The public in USA, Britain, Europe, (even Australia, though rarely)- do have an opportunity to learn of the negative side of the nuclear industry. In particular, we learn of the desperate efforts of the nuclear industry to portray itself as “commercially viable”.
However, do the “customer countries” of AREVA, Westinghouse, BHP Billiton etc – Asian countries learn of this, – does their media cover this? How much of the touted “scramble for nuclear” really mean a scramble of Asian and Middle Eastern governments to get nuclear weapons.
Where the government runs the nuclear industry – well, it doesn’t have to be “commercially viable”
This suits the”First World” nuclear and uranium salesmen who cannot get anyone to invest in their product in their own country. – Christina Macpherson 21 July 09
Away from the media glare, Asean talks nuclear 2009/07/19 Sheridan Mahavera reporting from Phuket
ASEAN is again likely to be known as a group that is better at promoting development among its 10 member countries than promoting noble political principles like the rule of law or protecting human rights.
The idea of having its own human rights body has grabbed headlines in the region but some of the more noteworthy meetings that are going on away from the glare of the media are about how some member countries are going nuclear……………………….Thailand is planning to build a nuclear plant that could cost US$6 billion (RM21.4 billion) and produce 4,000-megawatts of electricity in 2020.
While Vietnam had announced that it would start building two nuclear power plants, each with two 1,000-megawatt reactors, in 2013 in its southern province of Ninh Thuan.
Malaysia has yet to make public its nuclear power plans but Tenaga Nasional Berhad has said it wants to build a power plant by 2025.
Meanwhile, Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan confirmed that officials would be putting the final touches to the China and Australia agreements over the next few days. Once signed, the pacts would create free trade zones between Asean and the two countries. NST Online Away from the media glare, Asean talks nuclear
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 