Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook has been identified as one of seven potential sites in Australia for a nuclear reactor and power plant.
Coalition leader Peter Dutton identified the site during a 60-minute press conference on Wednesday saying the sites were all chosen because of the existing assets and distribution network of poles and wires.
Combined with gas and renewables, the addition of nuclear energy is integral to the energy road map for the future, according to Mr Dutton.
“As coal retires, it will be replaced with zero emission nuclear energy.”
Another asset is the locally-based skilled workforce that already has experience in power production.
“There are boilermakers, electricians in and around these sites who have worked in the industry generationally and when we speak to these people in these communities they fully support nuclear power because it gives these communities eight decades of economic investment, I am confident the community will 100 percent back this,” Mr Dutton said.
The other six sites are:
- Tarong in Queensland, north-west of Brisbane
- Callide in Queensland, west of Gladstone
- Mount Piper in NSW, near Lithgow
- Port Augusta in SA
- Loy Yang in Victoria, in the Latrobe Valley
- Muja in WA, near Collie
While details of costs and timeframes for each of the seven sites will be revealed ‘in due course’, at least two of the plants would be operational by 2035 and 2037.
The Coalition is proposing that the government should partially fund the plants in partnership with “experienced nuclear companies” and then own the plants in a similar model to Snowy Hydro and the National Broadband Network.
The aim of the nuclear proposal is to deliver a reliable and cheaper power supply to households.
In response to a question regarding nuclear waste storage, Mr Dutton said a 470 megawatt reactor creates waste equivalent to a can of coke each year and this will be stored on site until the end of the asset’s life before determination of a permanent site.
Community is Council’s first priority
Muswellbrook Shire Council’s first consideration, following today’s announcement by Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, of the proposed establishment of a nuclear power plant in the Hunter, is to ensure that the best interests of the Muswellbrook Shire community are at the forefront of any proposal.
Liddell, the decommissioned coal-fired power station just south of Muswellbrook, has been mooted as one of seven sites across the nation in Mr Dutton’s long-anticipated announcement on his party’s position on powering the country into the future.
Muswellbrook Mayor Steve Reynolds said the ongoing prosperity and liveability of the Shire and the safety of the community is always Council’s first priority.
“Community partnership and engagement is at the heart of all we do as a Council. This is our priority. We are a region that boasts a highly skilled workforce and a wealth of assets, and we want the best outcomes as the economy of our Shire changes,” he said.
Council’s primary consideration in relation to Mr Dutton’s announcement is to ensure that the Muswellbrook community is appropriately and respectfully consulted so well-informed decisions can be made.
“It is critical that Federal and State governments work productively together to ensure the best possible outcomes for our nation with regard to the critically important matter of dependable, sustainable and affordable energy,” Cr Reynolds said.
