Right: Ziggy Switkowski, former CEO of Telstra, later heading an inquiry into the feasability of nuclear generation of electrcity in Australia. Despite favourable findings in the Switkowski report, many scientists have claimed that the processes were flawed..
Background information
Nuclear power generation in Australia has been much debated. Australia currently has no nuclear facilities generating electricity; however, Australia has about a quarter of the world's uranium deposits and is the world's second largest producer of uranium after Canada. 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 constitutional powers to take control of the approval process for new uranium mines from the anti-nuclear Northern Territory government. The federal 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'.
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 Howard 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.
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.
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 it was opposed to nuclear power for Australia as is the more recently elected Gillard Labor government.
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. On June 13, 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.
The prospect of a carbon tax in Australia has given additional impetus to the nuclear power debate as its supporters argue it offers a viable means of reducing the carbon cost of power generation in this country. ;However, the Japanese nuclear disaster following the March 11, 2011, Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and tsunami has reinvigorated concerns in Australia and around the world about the safety of nuclear power production.