Nuclear power in Australia
Encyclopedia
Nuclear power in Australia is a heavily debated concept. Australia
currently has no nuclear facilities generating
electricity, however, Australia has 23% of the world's uranium deposits and is the world's second largest producer of uranium
after Kazakhstan
. At the same time, Australia's extensive, low-cost coal
and natural gas
reserves have historically been used as strong arguments for avoiding nuclear power.
In 2005, the Australian government threatened to use its constitution
al powers to take control of the approval process for new uranium mines
from the anti-nuclear
Northern Territory
government. The government is also negotiating with China to weaken safeguard terms to allow uranium exports there. States controlled by the Australian Labor Party
are blocking the development of new mines in their jurisdictions under the ALP's "No New Mines policy."
The John Howard
-led Coalition
government went to the November 2007 federal election with a pro-nuclear power platform. This government was defeated by the Labor Party
, however, which opposes nuclear power for Australia.
was a proposed nuclear power reactor in the Jervis Bay Territory
on the south coast of New South Wales
. It would have been Australia's first nuclear power plant
, and was the only proposal to have received serious consideration as of 2005. Some environmental studies and site works were completed, and two rounds of tenders were called and evaluated, but the Australian government decided not to proceed with the project.
made widely reported statements in favour of nuclear power, on environmental grounds. Faced with these proposals to examine nuclear power as a possible response to climate change, anti-nuclear
campaigners and scientists in Australia emphasised claims that nuclear power could not significantly substitute for other power sources, and that uranium mining itself could become a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2006, the Howard Government
commissioned the Switkowski report, an investigation into the merits of Nuclear power in Australia. The report concluded that nuclear power would be competitive with coal power plants if Carbon credit
sanctions were implemented upon Australia. The Industry would have been able to produce its first plant in 10 years and could have delivered 25 plants by 2050 supplying Australia with a third of its base load power.
An independent panel of Australian scientists and nuclear experts have been critical of the findings of the Switkowski nuclear inquiry. They found that the Switkowski report relies on some flawed assumptions which reveal a bias towards nuclear power on economic, technological, health and environmental grounds.
Queensland
introduced legislation to ban nuclear power development on 20 February 2007. Tasmania has also banned nuclear power development. Both laws were enacted in response to the pro-nuclear position of John Howard, and the release of the Switkowski report.
Anti-nuclear campaigns were given added impetus by public concern about the sites for possible reactors: fears exploited by anti-nuclear power political parties in the lead-up to a national election in 2007. The Rudd
Labor government was elected in November 2007 and is opposed to nuclear power for Australia. The anti-nuclear movement continues to be active in Australia, opposing expansion of existing uranium mines, lobbying against the development of nuclear power in Australia, and criticising proposals for nuclear waste disposal sites.
At the same time, a number of Australian politicians feel that the development of nuclear power is in the country's best interests. Notably, on 13 June 2008, the annual New South Wales
state conference of the National Party
passed the resolution, proposed by the delegates from Dubbo, supporting research into the development of a nuclear power industry and the establishment of an international nuclear waste storage facility in Australia. The resolution was opposed by the delegates from NSW's north coast and by the party's state leader, Andrew Stoner
.
and Ian Lowe
discuss and articulate the debate about nuclear power
. Brook argues that there are various reasons why people should say "yes" to nuclear power, and these reasons include:
Lowe argues that there are various reasons why people should say "no" to nuclear power:
plants in Australia was carried out in 1979. The same poll was conducted again 28 years later in 2007 by McNair Ingenuity Research, using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing
on 1,000 randomly selected people throughout Australia. A new poll was asked in 2009 which marked the first time that more people support nuclear power than oppose it. The support for nuclear power is still in a plurality not an outright majority http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/more-aussies-back-nuclear-power-poll-20091013-gu7r.html . Respondents were asked the following question:
The 1979 poll was conducted soon after the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) nuclear power plant
accident located near Pennsylvania USA
where a sequence of events lead to the partial meltdown of the TMI-2 reactor core
reactor core.
The worst nuclear disaster in history occurred in 1986 the Chernobyl disaster
, when reactor
at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
exploded resulting in a nuclear meltdown
and a succession of explosions. It seems from the 2007 McNair Gallup poll that the need to consider nuclear power as an alternative energy source overrides any concern that events such as the Chernobyl disaster will be repeated with more Australians conceding the need for nuclear power plants to be built in Australia.
Opposition to the construction of nuclear power plants in the 2007 poll was strongest amongst females, Greens
supporters and Australians aged 18–29 and 40-49.
The McNair Gallup Poll showed a significant difference in opinion between ALP
, Coalition
and Green supporters. An overwhelming 78% of Green voters were opposed to the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia. In contrast, 34% of Coalition voters were likely to oppose the construction of nuclear power plants. The poll revealed that 59% of Coalition voters favoured the construction of nuclear power stations in Australia compared with only 30% of Labor voters.
The 2007 McNair Gallup poll found differences in responses between men and women. Men were more likely to favour the construction of nuclear power stations (55%), with twice as many males in favour of the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia than women. 41% of men were more likely to oppose the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia. In contrast, 65% of women were more likely to oppose the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia, while 28% favour the construction of nuclear power plants.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
currently has no nuclear facilities generating
electricity, however, Australia has 23% of the world's uranium deposits and is the world's second largest producer of uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
after Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. At the same time, Australia's extensive, low-cost coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
reserves have historically been used as strong arguments for avoiding nuclear power.
In 2005, the Australian government threatened to use its constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
al powers to take control of the approval process for new uranium mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
from the anti-nuclear
Anti-nuclear
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes the use of nuclear technologies. Many direct action groups, environmental groups, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, national, and international level...
Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
government. The government is also negotiating with China to weaken safeguard terms to allow uranium exports there. States controlled by the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
are blocking the development of new mines in their jurisdictions under the ALP's "No New Mines policy."
The John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
-led Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
government went to the November 2007 federal election with a pro-nuclear power platform. This government was defeated by the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, however, which opposes nuclear power for Australia.
1969 Jervis Bay Plant proposal
The Jervis Bay Nuclear Power PlantJervis Bay Nuclear Power Plant
Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Plant was a proposed nuclear power reactor in the Jervis Bay Territory on the south coast of New South Wales. It would have been Australia's first nuclear power plant, and was the only proposal to have received serious consideration...
was a proposed nuclear power reactor in the Jervis Bay Territory
Jervis Bay Territory
The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was surrendered by the state of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1915 so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have "access to the sea"....
on the south coast of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It would have been Australia's first nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
, and was the only proposal to have received serious consideration as of 2005. Some environmental studies and site works were completed, and two rounds of tenders were called and evaluated, but the Australian government decided not to proceed with the project.
Nuclear power politics
As uranium prices began rising from about 2003, proponents of nuclear power advocated it as a solution to global warming and the Australian government began taking an interest. In late 2006 and early 2007, then Prime Minister John HowardJohn Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
made widely reported statements in favour of nuclear power, on environmental grounds. Faced with these proposals to examine nuclear power as a possible response to climate change, anti-nuclear
Anti-nuclear
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes the use of nuclear technologies. Many direct action groups, environmental groups, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, national, and international level...
campaigners and scientists in Australia emphasised claims that nuclear power could not significantly substitute for other power sources, and that uranium mining itself could become a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2006, the Howard Government
Howard Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
commissioned the Switkowski report, an investigation into the merits of Nuclear power in Australia. The report concluded that nuclear power would be competitive with coal power plants if Carbon credit
Carbon credit
A carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse gas with a carbon dioxide equivalent equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide....
sanctions were implemented upon Australia. The Industry would have been able to produce its first plant in 10 years and could have delivered 25 plants by 2050 supplying Australia with a third of its base load power.
An independent panel of Australian scientists and nuclear experts have been critical of the findings of the Switkowski nuclear inquiry. They found that the Switkowski report relies on some flawed assumptions which reveal a bias towards nuclear power on economic, technological, health and environmental grounds.
Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
introduced legislation to ban nuclear power development on 20 February 2007. Tasmania has also banned nuclear power development. Both laws were enacted in response to the pro-nuclear position of John Howard, and the release of the Switkowski report.
Anti-nuclear campaigns were given added impetus by public concern about the sites for possible reactors: fears exploited by anti-nuclear power political parties in the lead-up to a national election in 2007. The Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
Labor government was elected in November 2007 and is opposed to nuclear power for Australia. The anti-nuclear movement continues to be active in Australia, opposing expansion of existing uranium mines, lobbying against the development of nuclear power in Australia, and criticising proposals for nuclear waste disposal sites.
At the same time, a number of Australian politicians feel that the development of nuclear power is in the country's best interests. Notably, on 13 June 2008, the annual New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
state conference of the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
passed the resolution, proposed by the delegates from Dubbo, supporting research into the development of a nuclear power industry and the establishment of an international nuclear waste storage facility in Australia. The resolution was opposed by the delegates from NSW's north coast and by the party's state leader, Andrew Stoner
Andrew Stoner
Andrew John Stoner is an Australian politician, Deputy Premier of New South Wales and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Oxley since the 1999 state election, and the Leader of the New South Wales National Party since 31 March 2003...
.
Nuclear power debate in Australia
In the 2010 book Why vs. Why: Nuclear Power Barry BrookBarry Brook (scientist)
Barry William Brook is an Australian scientist. He is a professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Adelaide, where he holds the Sir Hubert Wilkins Chair of Climate Change. He is also Director of Climate Science at the Environment Institute. He has a B.Sc. and...
and Ian Lowe
Ian Lowe
Ian Lowe is President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Professor of Science, Technology and Society and former Head of the School of Science at Griffith University, as well as an adjunct professor at Sunshine Coast University and Flinders University. In 1996 he was chair-person of the...
discuss and articulate the debate about nuclear power
Nuclear power debate
The nuclear power debate is about the controversy which has surrounded the deployment and use of nuclear fission reactors to generate electricity from nuclear fuel for civilian purposes...
. Brook argues that there are various reasons why people should say "yes" to nuclear power, and these reasons include:
- Because renewable energyRenewable energyRenewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and energy efficiencyEfficient energy useEfficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
may or may not solve the energy and climate crises - Because nuclear fuel is virtually unlimited and "packs a huge energy punch"
- Because new technology solves the “nuclear waste” problem
- Because nuclear power is the safest energy option
Lowe argues that there are various reasons why people should say "no" to nuclear power:
- Because it is not a fast enough response to climate changeClimate changeClimate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
- Because it is too expensive
- Because the need for baseload electricity is exaggerated
- Because the problem of waste remains unresolved
Opinion polls
A McNair Gallup poll http://www.mcnairingenuity.com/ on the construction of nuclear powerNuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
plants in Australia was carried out in 1979. The same poll was conducted again 28 years later in 2007 by McNair Ingenuity Research, using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing
Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing
Computer-assisted telephone interviewing is a telephone surveying technique in which the interviewer follows a script provided by a software application. It is a structured system of microdata collection by telephone that speeds up the collection and editing of microdata and also permits the...
on 1,000 randomly selected people throughout Australia. A new poll was asked in 2009 which marked the first time that more people support nuclear power than oppose it. The support for nuclear power is still in a plurality not an outright majority http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/more-aussies-back-nuclear-power-poll-20091013-gu7r.html . Respondents were asked the following question:
| “Do you favour or oppose the construction of nuclear power stations in Australia?” | 1979 | 2007 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Favour | 34% | 41% | 49% |
| Oppose | 56% | 53% | 43% |
| Don’t Know | 10% | 6% | 8% |
The 1979 poll was conducted soon after the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) nuclear power plant
Three Mile Island accident
The Three Mile Island accident was a core meltdown in Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg, United States in 1979....
accident located near Pennsylvania USA
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
where a sequence of events lead to the partial meltdown of the TMI-2 reactor core
Nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission...
reactor core.
The worst nuclear disaster in history occurred in 1986 the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
, when reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant or Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant is a decommissioned nuclear power station near the city of Pripyat, Ukraine, northwest of the city of Chernobyl, from the Ukraine–Belarus border, and about north of Kiev. Reactor 4 was the site of the Chernobyl disaster in...
exploded resulting in a nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission...
and a succession of explosions. It seems from the 2007 McNair Gallup poll that the need to consider nuclear power as an alternative energy source overrides any concern that events such as the Chernobyl disaster will be repeated with more Australians conceding the need for nuclear power plants to be built in Australia.
Opposition to the construction of nuclear power plants in the 2007 poll was strongest amongst females, Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
supporters and Australians aged 18–29 and 40-49.
| Do you favour or oppose the construction of nuclear power stations in Australia? | TOTAL | ALP | Coalition | Greens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favour | 41% | 30% | 59% | 22% |
| Oppose | 53% | 66% | 34% | 78% |
| Don't Know | 6% | 4% | 7% | 0% |
The McNair Gallup Poll showed a significant difference in opinion between ALP
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, Coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
and Green supporters. An overwhelming 78% of Green voters were opposed to the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia. In contrast, 34% of Coalition voters were likely to oppose the construction of nuclear power plants. The poll revealed that 59% of Coalition voters favoured the construction of nuclear power stations in Australia compared with only 30% of Labor voters.
The 2007 McNair Gallup poll found differences in responses between men and women. Men were more likely to favour the construction of nuclear power stations (55%), with twice as many males in favour of the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia than women. 41% of men were more likely to oppose the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia. In contrast, 65% of women were more likely to oppose the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia, while 28% favour the construction of nuclear power plants.
See also
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology OrganisationAustralian Nuclear Science and Technology OrganisationThe Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation is a statutory body of the Australian government, formed in 1987 to replace the Australian Atomic Energy Commission. Its head office and main facilities are in southern outskirts of Sydney at Lucas Heights, in the Sutherland Shire...
- High Flux Australian Reactor
External links
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation ‘Australia’s Nuclear power and nuclear science options 2005 and beyond’
- Australian Conservation Foundation- Is nuclear power part of Australia’s global warming solutions?
- Australian Institute of Energy ‘Nuclear Power in Australia- Why, whether and how’
- Washington Post ‘Three Mile Island’
- The United Nations ‘A unified message of hope for Chernobyl-affected communities’
- The United Nations ‘History of the United Nations and Chernobyl’
- The Australian Conservation Foundation ‘Dr Jim Green- Nuclear Power No Solution to Climate Change’
- Labor insiders push for nuclear energy
- Going nuclear not essential: Rudd