REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp Now listen just on another issue, I think we move onto another issue here. You have recently visited the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor facility in New South Wales – I guess you're the only Territory politician in the parliament at the moment who's been there. Can you tell us what issues that you discussed there, what your impressions were and what your views are about the storage of nuclear waste in the Territory as of now.

WOOD &nbsp ; & nbsp Well one of the reasons I went is because the whole issue of, well not the whole issue, but a good part of the issue about nuclear waste is, or radioactive waste as it's correctly called, is that much of it comes from Lucas Heights. So the argument has been that Lucas Heights needs a purpose built facility for its waste that it produces. So I thought lets go down and have a look at what actually Lucas Heights does. I mean is there a reason why we should have Lucas Heights. And we wrote to the department asking or the facility people and asked could we visit there. And I was more than just impressed. I didn't really have an understanding of what this whole facility is about. We were given a tour of the whole facility, departmental heads came out and showed us exactly what they do there and it was just overwhelming. And just to give you an example – most people sort of talk about Lucas Heights as a nuclear reactor and it produces medicines, radiopharmaceuticals and that.

REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp Yep.

WOOD &nbsp ; & nbsp Well that's only a part of what they do. They're actually a research institute. So they're researching into nuclear technology, just the basis of you know, of what is nuclear about, you know, what can it be used for, the understanding, you know, molecular structures and all that sort of thing. So there's a basic research institute there, and that's called the Brigg Institute. And the many scientist come from over throughout the world to study at Lucas Heights in that area.

REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp So this is actually pure science that they're researching the molecular structure and all that sort of stuff, is that, is that…

WOOD &nbsp ; & nbsp …That's right and Brigg comes from the name of two brothers in South Australia, it actually, I think our first Nobel Prize winners in physics in South Australia at the turn of last century or early this century, I haven't got the details in front of me. So it's a very important institute in relation to research. Now one of the things we were shown when we were looking at the new reactor that's being built, is that they have offices down each side of the reactor where people can do experiments. They've had so many requests from overseas scientists to be part of this new nuclear reactor, which is probably about the second best of its type in the world, but they had to build a new total, a new big office block to accommodate more scientists from over the world who want to do experimental work there. So it just from that point of view it's important. Then you can have a look at the radiopharmaceuticals and there is debate over whether we need a nuclear reactor …(inaudible)… the radiopharmaceuticals, you'll notice I think there's a group called the Medical Association Against War that is coming up I think to the Territory soon. They believe that you only need a cyclotron to make all these particular radiopharmaceuticals and the rest you can import. I know the people at ANSTO do not agree with that at all, so that's just not possible, but that's another argument. They look at waste and that…

REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp …Just on that particular one, the cyclotron versus the reactor, what's your, after you've been there, what's your view – is it necessary for the medicine or is it something that we could do without?

WOOD &nbsp ; & nbsp No I believe it's necessary, I believe that what you've got is people who oppose the idea of a nuclear facility. I mean some people don't want nuclear facilities in the Territory, in the Territory, in Australia, they believe that they create waste and therefore they're part of a cycle of, you know, radioactive waste which is a problem for society. Now that's fine, but you talk to people who are in the, the physics people, the physicians, not the doctors, the physicians who actually make this material, they say, and this is from Doctor Cameron(?) that only 20% of the materials required in hospitals can be made from a cyclotron, 80% must be made from a nuclear reactor. And I haven't got the, I can give you the details, but basically they're to do with the basis of the isotopes. Now the people that are opposed to that saying look we can produce more from cyclotrons, and what we can't, we'll import from Canada or South Africa. My argument is that is unethical, even if it was true, and I don't think it is true. By importing them you are saying to Canada, well you look after the waste. By having that in Australia we have a guaranteed supply of isotopes to our hospitals. And we did go to Westmead Hospital, we spoke to the President of the Nuclear Medicine Association, Dr George Lucas, who gave us two hours at Westmead Hospital, just asking the benefits of nuclear or molecular technology in hospitals, the sort of thing that shows not only, like for instance, when you get an x-ray you see the skeleton. If you've got a pain in the bones, you've got something hurting your hip, using a bone scan in conjunction with a x-ray you can actually see where that pain actually is, what's causing it. So, you know, there are huge benefits from a medical point of view having radioisotopes developed in our own country. I'm sure that…

REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp ... Are you going to be making a report to the Parliament on this?

WOOD &nbsp ; & nbsp I will be, the only trouble is when you've got a fifteen minute adjournment debate, there's more than fifteen minutes…

REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp …Oh well you'll have to put a written one together and table it Gerry.

WOOD &nbsp ; & nbsp I think I might have to.

REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp Yeah good on you, look mate, thanks very much for talking to us. This is really interesting, I mean you obviously have obtained a lot of information which is factual and unfortunately a lot of the debate is based on anything but fact. It's very, very difficult for people to make informed decisions when the information that they're dealing with is incomplete.

WOOD &nbsp ; & nbsp Just quickly Daryl, I'll just say there are three other areas they look at. One is the waste that they produce, and you would have heard of synrock, they developed it there. The other one is they use it for metals, when they're testing metals to see whether they're under stress or changing, with the support from industry. They're also looking at things like what they call geophysiology, where they're studying ice …(inaudible)… in Antarctica, they've done work at Rum Jungle, they've done work on crocodiles in the Territory, done work down at Douglas Daly Research Farm and they've also done other work looking at waste pollution or where pollution comes from in China. All that sort of technology comes from Lucas Heights

REPTR &nbsp ; & nbsp Yeah interesting stuff. Good on you Gerry.