Tuesday, 15 May, 2007

Herald Sun

HALF of Australians supported uranium mining, an industry conference was told today.

About 300 international delegates are in Darwin this week for the second Australian uranium conference, which has added significance this year after federal Labor scrapped its no new uranium mines policy.

The executive director of the Australian Uranium Association, Michael Angwin, said Labor's policy shift last month reflected a broader change in community opinion.

"The Australian uranium industry has gone from fringe dweller to the Australian mainstream in a very short space of time," he told delegates.

According to a survey by polling company ANOP, presented at the opening day of the conference, 50 per cent of Australians supported the uranium mining industry.

Eleven per cent of people were unsure while 39 per cent opposed the industry.

"It is clear from this data that Australians are changing their minds about uranium," Mr Angwin said.

"And in every state, more people support it than not ... they support it because of the economic benefits and because they see it making a contribution to climate change."

Overall, the poll found 75 per cent of Australians believed uranium would make a big contribution to Australia's future while 92 per cent of people see climate change as a problem Australia could limit.

Fifty-nine per cent supported uranium exports for energy use.

Mark Chalmers, managing director of exploration and development company Uranium Equity and conference chairman, said he hoped the conference would help grow the industry in Australia.

"A combination of higher uranium prices, changes in the ALP's 'no new uranium mines policy' have all increased the interest in Australian uranium," he said.

The two-day summit was opened by Northern Territory Mines Minister Chris Natt, who said there was $60 billion worth of yellowcake in the ground in the north.

"As far as proposals for uranium mining are concerned, we (the NT government) will consider all applications," he said.