Will Laming be a lemming on nuclear?

“John Howard wants a nuclear future for Australia with 25 nuclear power plants by 2050. Will Laming be a lemming on nuclear, or can he categorically rule out a nuclear power plant in Redlands?” asked Ms Waters.

In January this year The Australia Institute identified seven sites in Queensland most likely to be targeted for nuclear power plants under the Howard Government's proposals - Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast and Bribie Island.

All are areas with access to large quantities of water for cooling, close to large centres of demand and transport infrastructure, and with access to the electricity grid. Those characteristics mean Redlands could also be the site of a nuclear power plant.

“Queenslanders should be concerned that the Howard Government won't answer where the 25 nuclear power plants will go or where the radioactive waste from the plants will be buried. They could be in your neighbourhood,” said Ms Waters.

“The people of Redlands deserve to know whether their federal representative will protect their families from dangerous nuclear power plants and toxic nuclear waste, or just toe the party line,” Ms Waters said.

“For the same reasons Bribie Island is a possible site for a nuclear power plant, the Moreton Bay Islands could also be targeted. Do jobs on the Islands mean nuclear jobs?” asked Greens candidate for Bowman, Brad Scott.

“Nuclear power is not a safe, clean, timely, economical or practical solution to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy is – and it can supply base load power” said Ms Waters.

“There are many options for renewable energy to supply base load power, including solar thermal energy, wind power, biofuels and geothermal energy, with all of the technology already existing.”

“We need to take advantage of these truly clean, green reliable options for power supply and not waste money on fantasies of 'clean' coal and toxic nuclear, both of which are too slow to protect us from dangerous climate change."

“The Greens are the only party which offer a clean, safe and nuclear-free future for Australia. The Coalition and Labor are in bed on uranium mining and export, despite the clear link between uranium, nuclear power, nuclear waste and nuclear weapons proliferation,” said Ms Waters.

For more information:

Larissa Waters

Australian Greens lead Senate candidate for Queensland

larissa.waters@qld.greens.org.au