National environmental justice group Friends of the Earth Australia (FoE) has slammed Opposition Leader Peter Dutton鈥檚 release of the Coalition nuclear policy, describing it as a 鈥渘uclear nightmare鈥� and a 鈥渃ynical ploy to keep burning coal and gas鈥�.
Nuclear is simply too expensive and will take far too long to build to do anything useful for Australia鈥檚 energy transition. It is little more than a political tool in the Coalition鈥檚 strategy to delay renewables and maintain the profits of fossil fuel companies.
The nuclear energy industry has long been rejected in Australia; it is banned because it presents significant risks to frontline workers, communities and the environment.
Most Australians agree we don鈥檛 need nuclear and this is a cynical ploy to divide the community.
鈥淭he Coalition is dumping its radioactive energy failures on to communities who deserve a safe and renewable future鈥� said Dr Jim Green, FoE鈥檚 national nuclear campaigner and lead author to a聽new report聽.
Importantly, the nuclear chain needed to make nuclear power happen (uranium mining, enrichment, transportation and waste management) disproportionately affects First Nations Peoples on this continent and beyond.
During a time of climate crisis, the focus of governments should be squarely on the transition to renewable energy, the most affordable form of new generation.
鈥淭he Coalition鈥檚 nuclear power plan is a transparent attempt to prolong the use of fossil fuels and to slow the transition to a low-carbon economy.鈥�
鈥淏ased on the experience in Australia鈥檚 AUKUS partner countries, the US and the UK, Dutton鈥檚 nuclear plans would undoubtedly slow the energy transition in Australia, and make it more expensive.鈥�
Dutton has named seven towns around the country that would host nuclear power stations, including the Latrobe Valley in Victoria.
Wendy Farmer, Friends of the Earth鈥檚 Gippsland organiser and Voices of the Valley president, said:聽鈥淒utton is dreaming up a nuclear nightmare. The proposal to build a nuclear power plant in the Latrobe Valley on a geological fault line in a community that already suffered the impacts of the Hazelwood coal mine fire is dangerous and insulting.鈥�
[Republished from ].