Friday, 20 July, 2007

Australian Conservation Foundation

The Australian Conservation Foundation has urged the Federal Government to reject overtures from the US Administration for Australia to get involved in uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel leasing and international radioactive waste storage.

Newspaper reports today say the Federal Government is negotiating a major deal with the USA to develop an international nuclear energy partnership.

“Enriching uranium produces the material that is used in nuclear weapons,” said ACF Nuclear Free Campaigner David Noonan.

“Our neighbours in the region would be very concerned about Australia becoming a nuclear weapons fuel producer.

“By getting involved in this US initiative we risk starting a nuclear arms race in the Asia-Pacific and fuelling existing regional insecurities.

“I don’t think Australians would want our Government to follow the US into another international debacle,” he said.

Polling shows Australians remain vehemently opposed to nuclear power and radioactive waste storage in Australia. A survey of 1000 voting age Australians in March this year found 73 per cent did not support “the storage of nuclear waste in Australia”.