Danna Vale (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This bill, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Amendment Bill 2006, is vital to ensure the continued security of Australia. This amendment will enable ANSTO to provide greater assistance to government in managing the Commonwealth’s radioactive material and to assist in the event of a radiological incident in Australia, including the possibility of a terrorist radiological incident—known as a ‘dirty bomb’. Such was ably described by journalist Jim Dickins in an article in the Sunday Telegraph on 13 August 2006 entitled ‘Australia prepares for dirty bomb’, in which he reported:

Authorities have a plan to cope with one of the worst terrorist threats imaginable: a ‘dirty bomb’ attack on Australian soil.

Sydney’s Lucas Heights nuclear facility would play a crucial role in the emergency response. It would provide a safe location to stabilise and house volatile radioactive waste from the bomb site.

Under legislation before Federal Parliament, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) will be given power to take charge of such hazardous material.

At present, it is restricted by law from processing anything other than its own waste.

This legislation will address that restriction.

ANSTO is Australia’s national nuclear research and development organisation and the centre of Australian nuclear expertise. It is the largest corporate employer in my electorate, employing around 800 local residents and providing income for several hundred local tradespeople and industry suppliers. As a matter of fact, ANSTO contributes over $40 million to our local electorate economy. ANSTO is responsible for delivering specialised advice, scientific services and products to government, industry, academia and other research organisations.

ANSTO’s nuclear infrastructure includes the research reactor, HIFAR, particle accelerators, radiopharmaceutical production facilities and a range of other unique research establishments. HIFAR is Australia’s only nuclear research reactor. It is used to produce radioactive products for use in medicine and industry, as a source of neutron beams for scientific research and to irradiate silicon for semiconductor applications. A replacement for HIFAR, the OPAL reactor—the open pool Australian light-water reactor—is in its final stages of construction on the same site at Lucas Heights in my electorate. This is one of the areas of the so-called secret report that was cited by the member for Grayndler for Australia’s new reactor. Indeed, it was the search for Australia’s new research reactor. The site has already been chosen; the site is Lucas Heights.

The new OPAL reactor is of profound significance for those at the leading edge of science and research. The new reactor will be a world-class neutron source, capable of supporting up to 17 neutron beam instruments. The scope of research that these instruments will allow is tremendous, from research on advanced materials through to molecular biology.

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