Published Monday, 27 November, 2006 at 01:56 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
GOVERNMENT MOVES TO BAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
The Beattie Government will legislate to prohibit the building of nuclear power facilities in Queensland.
Mr Beattie said legislation would be introduced in Parliament this week to prohibit nuclear facilities, including uranium enrichment plants, nuclear power stations and nuclear waste sites in Queensland.
He said the Nuclear Facilities Prohibition Bill 2006 would help protect regional and rural Queensland from the threat of nuclear facilities being built in their backyard.
“Under the Howard Government, Queensland communities face the very real threat of becoming home to nuclear reactors and a dumping ground for dangerous nuclear waste,” Mr Beattie said.
“They are pushing ahead with a plan for nuclear power despite the very real concerns of Australians with regard to the environment and safety.
“In addition they have given no consideration to the impact of this decision on Queensland’s multi-billion dollar coal and mineral industry - the backbone of our State’s booming economy.”
The Queensland Government passed a motion in Parliament on June 7 this year opposing any nuclear reactor or nuclear waste dump in Queensland.
The Bill proposes to legislate the current policy position as it applies to nuclear enrichment, energy generation and waste disposal in Queensland.
Mr Beattie said as part of the legislation the State Government would make provision for a future plebiscite on the issue.
“The Howard Government want to push ahead with this proposal regardless but we want to make sure Queenslanders have a chance to have their say,” he said.
“In the event that the Commonwealth Government adopts a policy position in support of allowing the generation of nuclear power, uranium enrichment or the creation of nuclear dumping facilities then we will put a plebiscite to the people of Queensland to ask them whether they support the location of such facilities within Queensland.
“The Howard Government may not want to listen but we want to make sure Queenslanders are at least given the chance to be heard.”
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh said the Queensland Government held a number of concerns about the introduction of nuclear power to Queensland.
“While the safety record of the of the industry has improved since the accidents at Three Mile Island in the United States and Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union, concerns still exist about the location of major facilities close to centres of population,” Ms Bligh said.
“And given the requirement of nuclear power stations for significant quantities of water, ports for imported raw materials and access to grid connection the range of suitable sites in Queensland would be limited to major population centres on our eastern seaboard.
“There are also obvious concerns with the management and disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In addition to the cost of identifying potential waste disposal sites there is the cost and risk of transporting nuclear waste on public infrastructure, most likely over long distances to suitably remote locations.
“There is also the negative impact on our coal industry and the economy and a recent independent study we commissioned shows a nuclear power station would use 25% more water than a coal fired power station.
“That is a not a smart option when we are currently experiencing the worst drought on record.
“John Howard has argued that nuclear power is as an essential response to climate change.
“We don’t agree.
“We believe clean coal technologies and renewable energy is a safer and more economically sensible option for Australia compared to nuclear power.”
27 November, 2006
Further inquiries: (07) 3224 4500
Mr Beattie said legislation would be introduced in Parliament this week to prohibit nuclear facilities, including uranium enrichment plants, nuclear power stations and nuclear waste sites in Queensland.
He said the Nuclear Facilities Prohibition Bill 2006 would help protect regional and rural Queensland from the threat of nuclear facilities being built in their backyard.
“Under the Howard Government, Queensland communities face the very real threat of becoming home to nuclear reactors and a dumping ground for dangerous nuclear waste,” Mr Beattie said.
“They are pushing ahead with a plan for nuclear power despite the very real concerns of Australians with regard to the environment and safety.
“In addition they have given no consideration to the impact of this decision on Queensland’s multi-billion dollar coal and mineral industry - the backbone of our State’s booming economy.”
The Queensland Government passed a motion in Parliament on June 7 this year opposing any nuclear reactor or nuclear waste dump in Queensland.
The Bill proposes to legislate the current policy position as it applies to nuclear enrichment, energy generation and waste disposal in Queensland.
Mr Beattie said as part of the legislation the State Government would make provision for a future plebiscite on the issue.
“The Howard Government want to push ahead with this proposal regardless but we want to make sure Queenslanders have a chance to have their say,” he said.
“In the event that the Commonwealth Government adopts a policy position in support of allowing the generation of nuclear power, uranium enrichment or the creation of nuclear dumping facilities then we will put a plebiscite to the people of Queensland to ask them whether they support the location of such facilities within Queensland.
“The Howard Government may not want to listen but we want to make sure Queenslanders are at least given the chance to be heard.”
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh said the Queensland Government held a number of concerns about the introduction of nuclear power to Queensland.
“While the safety record of the of the industry has improved since the accidents at Three Mile Island in the United States and Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union, concerns still exist about the location of major facilities close to centres of population,” Ms Bligh said.
“And given the requirement of nuclear power stations for significant quantities of water, ports for imported raw materials and access to grid connection the range of suitable sites in Queensland would be limited to major population centres on our eastern seaboard.
“There are also obvious concerns with the management and disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In addition to the cost of identifying potential waste disposal sites there is the cost and risk of transporting nuclear waste on public infrastructure, most likely over long distances to suitably remote locations.
“There is also the negative impact on our coal industry and the economy and a recent independent study we commissioned shows a nuclear power station would use 25% more water than a coal fired power station.
“That is a not a smart option when we are currently experiencing the worst drought on record.
“John Howard has argued that nuclear power is as an essential response to climate change.
“We don’t agree.
“We believe clean coal technologies and renewable energy is a safer and more economically sensible option for Australia compared to nuclear power.”
27 November, 2006
Further inquiries: (07) 3224 4500