Wednesday, 26 July, 2006

ABC News Online

An anti-nuclear campaigner has told a uranium industry conference in Perth that a nuclear arms race is emerging in Asia and companies which want to export uranium need to realistically consider the consequences.

James Courtney of the Anti-Nuclear Alliance says conference delegates are focussed on the economic benefits of uranium but have not stopped to consider their social responsibilities.

Mr Courtney says the nuclear non-proliferation treaty does not work and there is no guarantee exports of Australian uranium would only be used for peaceful purposes.

"I'm frightened that they've been blinded by greed, if they can't see that we've got a globally worsening security situation, that we're on the brink of an Asian nuclear arms race, and these fellows are all standing around slapping each other on the back saying how much money they're going to make by exporting uranium overseas," he said.

He says exporting uranium to China will damage the prospect of long term security in the region.

"The first thing that industry and government can do, can actually realistically and factually look at the problems that we have and start figuring out how we can address them.

"Because in a situation like today's conference for instance, nobody is speaking about Chinese uranium exports, we're in a grave regional nuclear situation."