This blog post is primarily for my son, since last night we were discussing Australia's possible future with nuclear energy. I was surprised to discover during my research that not only is there still a debate, post the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster as to whether Australia should develop nuclear energy and nuclear power stations, but that parts of Australia are being considered as a nuclear waste dump. Here is just some of the information I've gleaned from the Internet this morning. Make of it what you will.
Liberal Party (2007) That Federal Council believes that Australia should expand its current nuclear industry to incorporate the entire uranium fuel cycle, the expansion of uranium mining to be combined with nuclear power generation and worldwide nuclear waste storage in the geotechnically stable and remote areas that Australia has to offer. (See full article here)
So potentially Australia can sell unprocessed uranium, be paid to store the waste from existing nuclear reactors, reprocess the waste and sell it, take back the resulting waste a second time, and eventually sell that waste product again ~ this quote is from CEDA, see article here
And, back in December 2009 quote from Tony Abbott:
I am not a theological opponent of nuclear power. I am quite happy to have the debate about the nuclear option. And I note that there are lots of people in the Labor Party like Martin Ferguson who are on the record as saying that it is something that Australian should consider. I don't think it is anything we should rush into.
However, in March 2011 he said:
We have no policy to introduce nuclear power in this country. See article here
What were John Howard government plans. Click here
Julia Gillard's Carbon Tax prompts call for a debate on nuclear power. See Australian article here
NOTE: The 'think tank' that they are referring to is a report from CEDA- Committee for Economic Development of Australia (see also second quote at the beginning of this blog). See membership list of CEDA.
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