BY DI SNEDDON
No mention of earthquakes, little mention of historic disasters but the Inquiry into Nuclear Energy in Muswellbrook last week was all about jobs and disposal of waste.
Federal Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi is the chair of the committee visiting seven communities with sites proposed for Nuclear generation throughout Australia.
Mudgee Environment Group chair Rosemary Hadaway told the inquiry the legacy of nuclear energy, particularly the waste product, was something that must not be left to future generations to deal with.
“It is unethical, inequitable and totally reprehensive to do that for thousands of years in the future, it is unethical to burden future generations of this nation and the world, it is environmentally and socially unacceptable to expect future generations to be left to deal with the legacy of this waste, waste that will last thousands and thousands of years,” she said.
There was little patience in the voice of Blackrock Director Stephen Fordham who blasted both sides of government for their lack of action on the future of coal and the country’s energy supply needs.
“You say it is a war on climate change but it is a war on our jobs, we have 12,000 people directly employed in the mining industry and a further 60,000 indirectly and neither side of the government has had the balls to do something.
“We need to cut costs in energy prices, we need decisions and this is just a puppet show, we need more than this, we are running out of time.
“We need to cut the red tape to allow coal to continue, we need to create new investment, we have been the powerhouse for so long and we need to boost every opportunity we can,” Steve said.
“All of this is too late, you need to take your (political) shirts off and stop the bullshit, and have some real conversations, at this point in time there is no job transition from coal to nuclear.”
Mining and Energy Union district president Robin Williams was equally critical of the time being lost for energy transition.
“It will take eight to 10 years to go through the approval process, and then the build starts, it is too long to make a difference for those in the coal industry facing the loss of their jobs now.
“If we do not have a seamless transition from one to another, this community will be decimated,” Robin said.
MEU’s Scott King told the inquiry he believes miners and power staff are being used as pawns in a political game.
“We have people who could transition but not if it takes that long, It is not as if an operator can suddenly become a skilled worker at a nuclear power site, a lot of these people we are talking about now will be retired by the time anything happens, they will be gone from the area.”
The committee, consisting of Dan Repacholi as chair, Ted O’Brien deputy chair, Matt Burnell, Simon Kenedy, Dr Daniel Mulino and Dr Monique Ryan, directed questions to those presenting evidence to the inquiry both for and against the concept of nuclear energy.
Those supporting the concept included Sandy Hollow’s Nigel Wood who said he had no problem with Liddell becoming a nuclear power site.
He does, however, have a huge problem with windfarms on his property and outlined his experience with renewables and the consultation process that he says was hugely lacking.
Asked by Dr Monique Ryan, on how things could be improved, Nigel suggested proper, balanced and genuine consultation at times when people could attend.
Former Muswellbrook Mayor Steve Reynolds made comment that the local community was power energy literate and recognised there needs to be an energy mix. He supports nuclear and emphasised there was a future for solar energy but productive farming land needed to be protected.
Some 500 submissions have been lodged with the inquiry. A report is expected in April next year.
