A parliamentary committee has released a report into nuclear energy that puts the Australian people at the centre of any approval process for a future nuclear plant.

Media release issue date: Friday, 13 December 2019

A parliamentary committee has released a report into nuclear energy that puts the Australian people at the centre of any approval process for a future nuclear plant. “Nuclear energy should be on the table for consideration as part of our future energy mix”, said Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien who chairs the House Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy. “Australia should say a definite ‘No’ to old nuclear technologies but a conditional ‘Yes’ to new and emerging technologies such as small modular reactors. “And most importantly,” said Mr O’Brien “the Australian people should be at the centre of any approval process”. The report - entitled Not without your approval - follows a parliamentary inquiry that saw the Committee travel across Australia over recent months taking evidence and assessing over 300 submissions on the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia. “If we’re serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we can’t simply ignore this zero-emissions baseload technology,” said Mr O’Brien. “But we also need to be humble enough to learn lessons from other countries who have gone down this path,” said Mr O’Brien. “It’s as much about getting the technology right as it is about maintaining a social license based on trust and transparency.” The report recommends the Australian Government undertake a body of work to deepen the understanding of nuclear technology which would include economic, technological and readiness assessments and also a two-way public engagement program. The report recommends a partial-lift of the current moratorium on nuclear energy, urging the Government to keep its moratorium on Generations I, II and III reactors while lifting it for reactors in Generations III+ and IV, so only the newest and best be considered. Furthermore, the report recommends that the partial-lift of the moratorium be subject to a technology assessment and a commitment to community consent as a condition of approval for any nuclear power or nuclear waste disposal facility. The Committee was asked by the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction the Hon Angus Taylor to undertake the inquiry and to report back to Government by the end of the year. The report is the product of the inquiry and it has been presented to Speaker of the House of Representatives the Hon Tony Smith MP today, on behalf of the Australian Parliament, for the Government’s consideration. Media inquiries Media Advisor for Ted O’Brien MP, Committee Chair – 0401 257 064

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy has commenced an inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 7 August 2019

  The House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy has commenced an inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia. Chair of the Committee, Mr Ted O’Brien MP, said that a fresh look at nuclear energy is timely, given that new technologies in the field are leading to cleaner, safer and more efficient energy production. ‘Nuclear energy has evolved since it was last seriously considered in Australia’, Mr O’Brien said. ‘This inquiry will provide the opportunity to establish whether nuclear energy would be feasible and suitable for Australia in the future, taking into account both expert opinions and community views. ‘The Committee looks forward to receiving and carefully considering all perspectives on its terms of reference.’ The Committee will look at the necessary circumstances and requirements for any future government’s consideration of nuclear energy generation, including using small modular reactor technologies. The Committee will consider a range of matters including waste management, health and safety, environmental impacts, energy affordability and reliability, economic feasibility and workforce capability, security implications, community engagement and national consensus. If you would like to contribute to the inquiry, you can make a submission. Submissions to the inquiry will be accepted until 16 September 2019. The Committee intends to hold public hearings at various locations, which will be announced in due course on the inquiry website. Submissions must address the inquiry’s terms of reference, which are available along with details on how to make a submission on the inquiry website. Media enquiries: Mr Ted O’Brien MP (Fairfax, QLD), Committee Chair Media Advisor, (07) 5479 2800 For background information: House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy (02) 6277 4580 environment.reps@aph.gov.au