TOWNSVILLE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LIKELY TO BE FAST-TRACKED IF HOWARD GOVERNMENT RE-ELECTED

The Howard Government will fast-track nuclear power stations if it is re-elected – including a possible nuclear power station in Townsville, Craig Wallace said today.

Mr Wallace said nuclear advocate and former Telstra boss Dr Ziggy Switkowski had revealed that a re-elected Howard Government would quickly draw up the necessary regularly framework to allow nuclear power stations in Australia.

“Dr Switkowski has let the cat out of the bag,” said 000Mr Wallace, who is Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland.

“A vote for the Member for Herbert, Peter Lindsay, will mean a vote for nuclear power in the North,” he said.

“And if Peter Lindsay if re-elected Townsville will go nuclear sooner rather than later,” he said.

Dr Switkowski, chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, conducted a review on nuclear power for the Howard Government last year.

The review said the green light should be given to nuclear power stations.

Dr Switkowski told a meeting of the Business Leaders Forum in Brisbane late last week that the Howard Government would put a “positive regulatory regime” in place for nuclear power stations early in its next term.

Dr Switkowski said Australia could get up to 25 nuclear reactors in the longer term.

Townsville has been suggested as the location for future nuclear power stations with Ross and Strathmore identified as possible sites.

“We do not want North Queensland to be known as ‘beautiful one day, radioactive the next’,” Mr Wallace said.

Peter Lindsay has refused to rule out nuclear power in North Queensland. Indeed, he said nuclear power was “the cleanest and safest form of base load energy”.

Mr Wallace said Queensland has 300 years’ worth of coal in the ground.

“The Queensland Government is committed to pursuing clean coal technologies, renewable energy and gas,” he said.

“These are far more strategic and economically sensible options.”

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.