Sunday, 26 November, 2006

by James Dunlevie
ABC - Insiders

James Dunlevie, a Darwin nightclub stage manager, community radio worker, and illustrator and graphic designer, does not believe in the nuclear industry as an option for power generation in Australia.

JAMES DUNLEVY : G'day, I'm James Dunlevy. I live and work in Darwin as a stage manager in a nightclub. I work in community radio and I'm also an illustrator and graphic designer, and I paint murals.

I don't believe in the nuclear industry as an option for power generation in this country. The fact that John Howard is now using climate change as a vehicle to get it through; I'd rather him throw money at the solar and wind options as alternate energy sources. As far as I'm concerned nuclear energy shouldn't be in anyone's backyard.

The history of the nuclear industry is one of disaster after disaster, and if there was a problem, a catastrophe, in this country, then you can't fix that stuff up. It's an nightmare waiting to happen.

I agree that to have the benefits of nuclear medicine you've got to take the responsibility of getting rid of the waste. I think that we have to look at, perhaps, some low level waste facility somewhere. But as for a high level radio active waste dump somewhere in the Territory, I wouldn't like to see that at all.

If it was so safe to have a nuclear reactor next to you, why don't they have it next to their home? I doubt that's going to happen.

I'm hoping that it does become an issue at the next election because I notice in Ziggy Switkowski's report that he said that the new reactors could be sited next to the current generation facilities. I don't think any politician is going to want to sell that to their electorate. Not a chance in hell.