Green groups against Aust-China uranium trade
Margie Smithurst
ABC PM
MARK COLVIN: The South Australian Premier Mike Rann has just returned from a trip to China, where he talked up the state's considerable uranium resources for export.
But the debate about Australia's uranium trade with China is not over yet. Environmental activists say no Australian uranium should be sold to China until its use of the material is more transparent.
Margie Smithurst reports.
MARGIE SMITHURST: Despite the global economic downturn, China's economy is roaring ahead.
To feed its energy needs and combat damaging pollution, the country intends to quadruple its nuclear power use by 2020. To do that it needs uranium; and as an existing trading partner, and a rich deposit source, Australia is a sure option.
Last year the two countries signed a uranium trade agreement, and sometime late this year or early next, export will begin.
But despite the Federal Government's confidence in the safety of the trade, controversy isn't dying down.
MIKE RANN: We strongly support the export of uranium to countries that have signed the treaty. And of course China qualifies for that. We strongly support uranium exports to China.
MARGIE SMITHURST: South Australian Premier Mike Rann has just returned from a trip to China, spruiking the state's vast uranium deposits.
The state has two working mines, including the biggest in the world, and today the Honeymoon Uranium Project announced green-light funding from the Japanese.
But Premier Rann got a hostile reception when selling the trip to state parliament.
MIKE RANN: And we want a stable and secure source of uranium…
OPPOSITION MP: And you want to sell it to them?
MIKE RANN: And you don't want to sell it to them? You don't want to sell it to them?
MARGIE SMITHURST: The Chinese uranium export trade should add about half a billion a year to an industry driven by the growing nuclear power demand from the third world.
Under the two governments' agreement, Australian uranium can only be sold to China for peaceful, civilian purposes. But as the trade draws nearer, there's concern that a lack of transparency or accountability in China means it's difficult to track where Australian uranium ends up.
The Australian Conservation Foundation's David Noonan.
DAVID NOONAN: There's no separation of the military from the so-called civilian nuclear sector in China. A clear requirement for Australia should be that separation of military from civilian sectors should be completed and independently verified before any Australian government, we believe, could credibly propose to sell Australian uranium on to any country, particularly China.
MARGIE SMITHURST: David Noonan says the nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, should get full access to sites where Australian uranium will be used.
DAVID NOONAN: That's not the case in China where the IAEA have only a voluntary and very limited safeguards agreement with the Chinese Government. And there are few, and very rare, inspections of any facility in China.
MARGIE SMITHURST: The Federal Government says it is satisfied all exported material will only be used for electricity generation.
China has signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty but is also a nuclear weapons power; so too are four other treaty signatories, including the US, the UK and Russia.
Next week's meeting of the International Commission on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament is Kevin Rudd's ambitious platform in the stand against the spread of nuclear weapons.
A key goal of the commission is to strengthen the obligations and efforts of the treaty's signatories to further disarm by 2010.
David Noonan says Australia should consider waiting for the 2010 review's results before it begins exporting uranium to China.
But the debate about Australia's uranium trade with China is not over yet. Environmental activists say no Australian uranium should be sold to China until its use of the material is more transparent.
Margie Smithurst reports.
MARGIE SMITHURST: Despite the global economic downturn, China's economy is roaring ahead.
To feed its energy needs and combat damaging pollution, the country intends to quadruple its nuclear power use by 2020. To do that it needs uranium; and as an existing trading partner, and a rich deposit source, Australia is a sure option.
Last year the two countries signed a uranium trade agreement, and sometime late this year or early next, export will begin.
But despite the Federal Government's confidence in the safety of the trade, controversy isn't dying down.
MIKE RANN: We strongly support the export of uranium to countries that have signed the treaty. And of course China qualifies for that. We strongly support uranium exports to China.
MARGIE SMITHURST: South Australian Premier Mike Rann has just returned from a trip to China, spruiking the state's vast uranium deposits.
The state has two working mines, including the biggest in the world, and today the Honeymoon Uranium Project announced green-light funding from the Japanese.
But Premier Rann got a hostile reception when selling the trip to state parliament.
MIKE RANN: And we want a stable and secure source of uranium…
OPPOSITION MP: And you want to sell it to them?
MIKE RANN: And you don't want to sell it to them? You don't want to sell it to them?
MARGIE SMITHURST: The Chinese uranium export trade should add about half a billion a year to an industry driven by the growing nuclear power demand from the third world.
Under the two governments' agreement, Australian uranium can only be sold to China for peaceful, civilian purposes. But as the trade draws nearer, there's concern that a lack of transparency or accountability in China means it's difficult to track where Australian uranium ends up.
The Australian Conservation Foundation's David Noonan.
DAVID NOONAN: There's no separation of the military from the so-called civilian nuclear sector in China. A clear requirement for Australia should be that separation of military from civilian sectors should be completed and independently verified before any Australian government, we believe, could credibly propose to sell Australian uranium on to any country, particularly China.
MARGIE SMITHURST: David Noonan says the nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, should get full access to sites where Australian uranium will be used.
DAVID NOONAN: That's not the case in China where the IAEA have only a voluntary and very limited safeguards agreement with the Chinese Government. And there are few, and very rare, inspections of any facility in China.
MARGIE SMITHURST: The Federal Government says it is satisfied all exported material will only be used for electricity generation.
China has signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty but is also a nuclear weapons power; so too are four other treaty signatories, including the US, the UK and Russia.
Next week's meeting of the International Commission on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament is Kevin Rudd's ambitious platform in the stand against the spread of nuclear weapons.
A key goal of the commission is to strengthen the obligations and efforts of the treaty's signatories to further disarm by 2010.
David Noonan says Australia should consider waiting for the 2010 review's results before it begins exporting uranium to China.