Thursday, 27 July, 2006

by Cath Hart
The Australian

LABOR resources spokesman Martin Ferguson courted the powerful Australian Workers Union to support overturning the party's restriction on uranium mining with the suggestion it could get dominant coverage for an expanding industry.
A briefing note created in March by Mr Ferguson to like-minded advocates for change outlines opportunities for Labor and the unions if the ban on new mines is lifted.

It also hints that nuclear waste that started as ore from local mines might be stored in Australia or become the nation's responsibility under a "cradle to grave" plan.

The document, obtained by The Australian, says changing Labor policy would also "allow unions like the AWU to pursue coverage and ensure mines are world class".

The AWU is the dominant union in Queensland but competes with the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union for coverage at mineral and coal mines.

Queensland state law bans uranium mining and Premier Peter Beattie remains equivocal about whether he will allow any uranium mines should Labor end its 30-year restriction on uranium mining at next year's national conference.

Kim Beazley announced on Monday that he would push for the scrapping of the "no new mines" policy at the April conference.

The document also nominates sites where mines could be developed in Queensland and Western Australia, despite opposition to increased uranium mining from Mr Beattie and fellow premier Alan Carpenter.

Mr Ferguson last night confirmed his office had prepared the document specifically for Queensland but refused to say whether other states had received similar, tailor-made briefings.

"I can recall some time ago there was discussion about putting down some ideas about this debate," he said.

The "cradle to grave" concept is used by the nuclear industry to describe stewardship of uranium from mining of ore to storage of waste at the end of the nuclear cycle.

Anti-nuclear advocates last night warned that any moves to adopt a "cradle to grave" policy could lead to Australia becoming a "high-level radioactive waste dump".

"A change in policy could ... allow state and territory governments to consider, subject to strict safety and environmental criteria, the development of mines like Summit Resources' Valhalla deposit near Mt Isa in Queensland and Rio Tinto's Kintyre deposit or Redport's Lake Maitland deposit in Western Australia," it says.

In addition to the suggestion that Australia should be "stewarding uranium from cradle to grave", the document says changing Labor policy would also "allow unions like the AWU to pursue coverage and ensure mines are world class".

The document does say there are presently no plans to change Labor opposition to nuclear power in Australia and to the "importation of nuclear waste from overseas".

Mr Ferguson was insistent that the cradle-to-grave concept was not about "importation of nuclear waste from overseas".

"I can tell you in no uncertain terms that cradle to grave is what the industry wants, it's what the Labor Party wants, it's what the community wants to guarantee whatever yellowcake is produced in Australia can be tracked and its peaceful use absolutely guaranteed," Mr Ferguson said.

Opponents of the change to Labor policy are concerned about storing uranium waste products inAustralia.

Under the US Global Nuclear Energy Partnership cradle-to-grave arrangements, used fuel would be returned to the nation that sold it.