The Australian Government supports an energy system which delivers affordable and reliable energy to consumers while fulfilling Australia’s international emissions reduction obligations.

Successive Labor and Coalition governments have maintained a bipartisan moratorium on nuclear electricity generation in Australia. Australia’s bipartisan moratorium on nuclear energy will remain in place.

Australia’s energy systems are changing with new technologies, changing consumer demand patterns and changes in demand load from major industries. At the same time the National Electricity Market is seeing a significant increase in capacity in intermittent low emissions generation technologies.

Terms of Reference

The Committee specifically inquire into and report on the circumstances and prerequisites necessary for any future government’s consideration of nuclear energy generation including small modular reactor technologies in Australia, including:

a. waste management, transport and storage,

b. health and safety,

c. environmental impacts,

d. energy affordability and reliability,

e. economic feasibility,

f. community engagement,

g. workforce capability,

h. security implications,

i. national consensus, and

j. any other relevant matter.

The inquiry will have regard to previous inquiries into the nuclear fuel cycle including the South Australian Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission 2016 commissioned by the Labor Government in South Australia and the 2006 Switkowski nuclear energy review.