Post by lennie on Nov 5, 2006 4:18:57 GMT -5
Nuclear push means plant for WA, says Beazley
The Federal Opposition Leader says if the Prime Minister goes ahead with a push for nuclear energy in Australia, Perth will become the site of a nuclear power station.
The Prime Minister says nuclear power production must be an option in Australia and it would be foolish to ignore the option, considering the country's vast reserves of uranium.
Kim Beazley believes John Howard is obsessed with what Mr Beazley describes as 1960s technology and her says Australia should instead be looking at a renewable source of energy.
Mr Beazley says Western Australia could not operate off an eastern states grid, so there would have to be a power plant in the west.
And he says he believes it would be in his electorate of Brand.
"You can't go down the nuclear road without saying where you'd site the facilities," he said.
"And I know darn well as the Member for Brand, and where you locate nuclear facilities - normally the proximity to the city, the proximity to water - you'll want to dump that station right in my electorate.
"I won't have a bit of it.
"We must not go down that road, we must not look like we intend to go down that road," he said.
"We must not send that signal to this region - it's a security issue, not simply an environmental issue and a power issue."
The Federal Opposition Leader says if the Prime Minister goes ahead with a push for nuclear energy in Australia, Perth will become the site of a nuclear power station.
The Prime Minister says nuclear power production must be an option in Australia and it would be foolish to ignore the option, considering the country's vast reserves of uranium.
Kim Beazley believes John Howard is obsessed with what Mr Beazley describes as 1960s technology and her says Australia should instead be looking at a renewable source of energy.
Mr Beazley says Western Australia could not operate off an eastern states grid, so there would have to be a power plant in the west.
And he says he believes it would be in his electorate of Brand.
"You can't go down the nuclear road without saying where you'd site the facilities," he said.
"And I know darn well as the Member for Brand, and where you locate nuclear facilities - normally the proximity to the city, the proximity to water - you'll want to dump that station right in my electorate.
"I won't have a bit of it.
"We must not go down that road, we must not look like we intend to go down that road," he said.
"We must not send that signal to this region - it's a security issue, not simply an environmental issue and a power issue."