NUCLEUR reactors are the talk of the town after the Federal Opposition’s recent policy announcement.
Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann has slammed the Opposition’s nuclear reactor plan, saying local residents were opposed to nuclear energy because of concerns about cost, safety, and nuclear waste.
Mr Neumann noted that one of the two proposed nuclear reactor locations for Queensland was Tarong Power Station in the South Burnett, which is just over the border of his electorate.
“This means that in the event of a nuclear explosion, the radioactive fallout zone could extend well into the Upper Somerset Region in my electorate,” he said.
“It’s just too risky, and local residents don’t want the threat of that hanging over their heads.”
Mr Neumann said his constituents would bear the brunt of expensive nuclear plants if it was pursued over renewables.
“We know that nuclear reactors are more expensive, which means your electricity bill could go up to fund these nuclear reactors that the Coalition wants to build in Queensland.”
Mr Neumann noted that LNP State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli was opposed to nuclear energy and had refused to overturn Queensland’s legislative ban on nuclear generators should his party be elected at the State Election in October.
CSIRO figures show that the cost of power from nuclear reactors is up to eight times more expensive than from renewables and that the cost of single plants was as high as $16 billion.
The Federal Government has approved more than 50 renewable projects since the last election and is already halfway to meeting its 2030 renewables target in the national grid.
