With the exception of a research nuclear reactor operating in New South Wales, a moratorium on nuclear energy is in place in Australia which prohibits the construction or operation of nuclear power plants.
Federal Parliament created the ban in 1998, and the moratorium has remained in place with bipartisan support ever since.
However, if the federal Minister for Energy and Emissions & Liberal MP for Hume, Angus Taylor, NSW Deputy-Premier & Nationals MLA for Monaro, John Barilaro, and One Nation state MLC, Mark Latham, have their way this may change soon with regard to New South Wales.
Following a referral from the Minister for Energy and Emissions, the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy resolved on 6 August 2019 to conduct an Inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia. On 13 December 2019 the Committee presented its report.
The NSW Berejiklian Government is reported to be supporting Mark Latham's private member's bill to lift the state moratorium on nuclear energy production.
The Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2019 was introduced and had its first reading in the NSW Legislative Assembly on 6 June 2020.
A subsequent NSW Legislative Council inquiry stacked with pro-uranium members recommended that the state ban on nuclear mining and power be lifted - concluding that nuclear energy is "a viable possibility for the State's future generation needs". The Berejiklian Government response to this recommendation is due on 4 September 2020.
The state electorates of Coffs Harbour, Clarence, Myall Lakes, Port Macquarie and Oxley are among a dozen areas previously identified by nuclear lobby group Nuclear for Climate Australia as prime locations for reactors.
All these North Coast electorates are currently held by NSW Nationals. Temporary Speaker Gurmesh Singh in Coff Harbour, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Roads and Infrastructure Chris Gulaptis in Clarence, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Transport Stephen Bromhead in Myall Lakes, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Leslie Williams in Port Macquarie and Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey in Oxley.
Recently the shadowy Nuclear for Climate Australia has been telling the federal parliament that the silent majority in regional Australia are in favour or have a positive opinion of nuclear power - even those in regional branches of the Labor Party [House of Representative Standing Committee on Environment and Energy, Inquiry on the Prerequisites for Nuclear Energy in Australia, submission, 13 September 2019].
NSW State Labor parliamentarians Walt Secord and Janelle Saffin have vowed to work together to fight One Nation senator Mark Latham’s legislation to set up a nuclear power industry in NSW.
Mr. Secord is Shadow Minister for the North Coast and Upper House deputy Opposition leader and Ms. Saffin is the MLA for LIsmore in the Northern Rivers region.
Secord and Saffin say that Mark Latham’s bill follows a push last year by Nationals leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro, to establish a nuclear power industry in NSW. They also say that Mr Barilaro also completed a taxpayer-funded visit to the United States where he was drumming up interest in US investors to build nuclear reactors in NSW. At the time, 18 sites were identified as possible sites for nuclear power plants in NSW– including a 250km stretch of coast from Port Macquarie to north of Grafton.
Communities in the Northern Rivers need to begin considering a response to the threats posed by any lifting of the moratorium.
BACKGROUND
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| Plan envisages 18 Reactors being constructed in NSW by 2040 https://nuclearforclimate.com.au/nsw-regions/ |
1 comment:
In early 2012, O'Farrell lifted the ban on issuing exploration licences covering uranium - and so exploration could occur.
This was always going to be followed by mining. Working under an exploration licence is a precursor to issuing mining leases for uranium (why else would companies invest in exploration activities?).
That decision in 2012 was made in the context of the Gillard government expanding the export market for uranium to include India.
The prospect of onshore nuclear energy generation was dismissed at the time.
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