Image at right: Australia's ANSTO nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights is used for medical radiation and for general research
 Found a word you're not familiar with? Double-click that word to bring up a dictionary reference to it. The dictionary page includes an audio sound file with which to actually hear the word said. |
Background information
Nuclear power in Australia
Australia has one nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, New South Wales, which is used only to produce radiotherapy for nuclear medicine and does not produce electricity.
Uranium mining in Australia
Australia has 33 percent of the world's proven uranium deposits and is currently the world's third largest producer of uranium after Kazakhstan and Canada. As of 2018 there are three active Australian uranium mines - Ranger in Northern Territory, Olympic Dam in South Australia, and Beverley with Four Mile in South Australia.
Federal laws prohibiting nuclear power
Nuclear power is prohibited in Australia, principally by two pieces of Federal legislation. These are the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act); and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (ARPANS Act).
These laws effectively prevent the construction or operation of nuclear facilities for power generation, as well as facilities for the fabrication of nuclear fuel, uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of nuclear waste.
State restrictions on nuclear power and the transport of nuclear materials
Three Australian states have legislation prohibiting nuclear power stations. The Activities (Prohibition) Act 1983 (Vic), the Nuclear Facilities Prohibition Act 2000 (Qld) and the Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Act 1986 (NSW) would prevent the construction or operation of a nuclear energy plant in Victoria, New South Wales, or Queensland.
Under the Queensland legislation (section 21), if the relevant Minister is satisfied that the government of the Commonwealth has taken, or is likely to, take any step supporting or allowing the construction of a prohibited nuclear facility in Queensland, the Minister must take steps to conduct a plebiscite in Queensland. This would obtain the people's views about the construction of a prohibited nuclear facility in Queensland.
In addition, while the mining of uranium is permitted in South Australia, conversion and enrichment activities are prohibited under the Radiation Protection and Control Act 2021 (SA).
State and territory laws also provide for the regulation of the transport of nuclear fuel or waste. Additional permits or approvals may be required for transporting nuclear fuel and waste, and for the disposal of nuclear waste. Some states and territories have imposed express bans on the transportation of nuclear waste, including the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia.
Any federal government seeking to establish nuclear power plants in states and territories with the above laws would need to co-ordinate new Commonwealth and state and territory legislation to implement the broad range of powers and functions required to deliver a nuclear program over the long-term, and possibly also modify local government laws.
Renewable energy as a power source in Australia
In 2023, 35 percent of Australia's total electricity generation was from renewable energy sources, including solar (16 percent), wind (12 percent) and hydro (6 percent). The share of renewables in total electricity generation in 2023 was the highest on record, a share of 1 percent higher than the earlier 2022-23 financial year. The previous peak of renewables share of total generation was 26 percent in the mid-1960s as the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme came progressively online.
Solar and wind have been the primary drivers in more than doubling renewable generation expansion over the last decade. Small-scale solar generation grew 17 percent in 2023, and by an average of 21 percent per year since 2015. Wind generation grew 6 percent in 2023 and by an average of 13 percent per year since 2015. Hydro power output has fluctuated around a consistent level according to rainfall and market conditions, losing predominance as generation sources diversified.
Recently, large-scale solar generation has begun rapid expansion. Large-scale solar generation has grown from negligible levels before 2016 to 6 percent of all Australian electricity generation in 2023, representing a growth rate of 2,777 percent from 2016.