Friday, 9 February, 2007

Sydney Morning Herald

The man who headed the federal government inquiry into nuclear energy says he believes the Labor Party will drop its three-mines policy.

Former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski led the taskforce charged with researching and reporting on uranium mining, processing and nuclear energy in Australia.

Dr Switkowski, guest speaker at the Uranium Club of Australia lunch in Melbourne, said he believed there would be wide support to drop the three-mines policy at the ALP's national conference in April.

Former opposition leader Kim Beazley signalled in July last year that he wanted to scrap Labor's three-mines policy, which it adopted in 1984.

"When Kim Beazley was leader of the opposition he put on the table that the national convention would address the issue of the no-new-mines policy and that his position was that that should be lifted," Dr Switkowski told reporters in Melbourne.

"My understanding is that (new Labor Leader) Kevin Rudd is going to follow that position."

"There is no logic that I can see for limiting the development and mining of any element, particularly uranium, in this country."

The ALP was expected to discuss whether to change its mines policy at its national conference, but remained firm on its stance of no new nuclear reactors.

Three uranium mines currently operate in Australia - Ranger in the Northern Territory as well as Olympic Dam and Beverley in South Australia.

Dr Switkowski, a highly respected physicist, said he would have no qualms about living next to a nuclear reactor.

"Without hesitation. And if that was down to a choice between nuclear and a coal-fired plant, no hesitation."