Goverment Rejects Call to Use Nuclear Power

January 16, 2009

World News Australia

Australia would not resort to nuclear power to tackle climate change,
the government says. (AAP)

Australia would not resort to nuclear power to tackle climate change,
despite a report urging the government to consider it, federal Energy
Minister Martin Ferguson said.

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering -
representing engineers and scientists - released the report on climate
change on Friday which calls the government to spend $6 billion on
researching ways to slash the carbon emissions from electricity
generation.

The academy's report says no single technology will solve climate
change, and takes a look at everything from nuclear power to clean
coal and renewable energy.

At the launch of the report in Melbourne, Mr Ferguson said the
government was committed to meeting its greenhouse gas reduction
targets without turning to nuclear power.

"It is the government's view that nuclear power is not needed as part
of Australia's energy mix given our country's abundance and diversity
of low-cost renewable energy sources," he said.

"The government has a clear policy of prohibiting the development of
an Australian nuclear power industry."

Mr Ferguson said the report focused the Australian community's mind on
technology and how it can help solve climate change.

"Technology created the problem and technology will be the solution to
the problem. What we're about is encouraging a debate," he said.

When asked by reporters whether the government would commit the $6
billion asked for in the report, Mr Ferguson said its policies would
see major investment in research and development in the private and
public sectors.

"The carbon pollution reduction scheme, putting a price on carbon in
association with renewable energy targets, will facilitate investment
by the private sector in association with ongoing investment, not only
by the Australian government, but also state and territory
governments," he said.

The report's author Dr John Burgess said he believed Australia would
need to put in a lot of work to reduce emissions by between five and
15 per cent by 2020.

"We think it is realistic and possible. But the point we're making in
the report is that a lot of work will need to be done ... it's only 11
years and a lot of work will need to be done to develop up the
technologies to replace that carbon because of the growth in
consumption that is happening," he said.

He said he was not disappointed by the minister's comments on nuclear
power.

"I guess what we're slightly concerned about is that without nuclear
energy the other technologies have to work," Dr Burgess said.

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