Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will always rise to set the record straight when it comes to the Liberals' and Nationals' obsession with nuclear power. All I can say is that I'm so glad to stand here today as the member for Gilmore and as part of the Albanese-Labor government, because this is the best assurance our community on the New South Wales South Coast can have against a nuclear reactor endangering our community and putting our pristine Jervis Bay at risk of harm.

That is what the Liberals and Nationals would do if they had the chance; if our community, with me standing with them, I am proud to say, didn't tell them each and every time they bring it up, 'No, we will not accept it.' That's what we do every time this obsession of theirs is raised. We point out, as I will again now for the member for Lyne and anyone else in the coalition ranks who needs to hear it, that nuclear is not an option. I know that the Liberals and Nationals don't seem to care about the inherent risk this would place our community in. They don't seem to care about the inherent risk to our farmers and farming land, or the risk to our health or our tourism industry. They don't seem to care about the risk it will place on our beautiful Jervis Bay Marine Park, our environment and our native wildlife. That much is clear, or we wouldn't still be having this conversation.

So let's talk in a language the Liberals might understand. The coalition are constantly banging on about bringing down the cost of energy. They say nuclear is the way to do that, but it has been proven that the costs of nuclear power do not stack up. The CSIRO continues to state that nuclear energy would far and away be the most expensive form of energy in this country. Nuclear energy produces less power now than 10 years ago, while wind and solar continue to grow. The capital cost of nuclear energy per kilowatt hour has increased, not decreased. A report from 2020 states:

… the costs of renewables continue to fall due to incremental manufacturing and installation improvements, while nuclear, despite over half a century of industrial experience, continue to see costs rising.

'What report is that from?' I hear you ask. It's from the World Nuclear Industry Status Report. Even the nuclear industry admits that it doesn't stack up.

In the last parliament, the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy held an inquiry into nuclear energy. I sat on that inquiry, and we heard from expert after expert who said the same thing: there is no evidence for nuclear energy in Australia. Dr Ziggy Switkowski, a nuclear physicist and Chancellor of RMIT, told the committee that there is 'no coherent business case to finance an Australian nuclear industry'. There is simply no evidence that nuclear energy could or would bring cheaper power to Australia. What do all the experts agree can bring cheaper power to Australia? Renewable energy. Wind and solar. Cleaner, cheaper power is in renewables. But the Liberals and Nationals must have had their fingers in their ears during that inquiry, because the message still has not sunk in. So here I am, once again standing up for our community.

I was highly amused recently when the Liberals on the south coast whipped themselves into a frenzy about fantasy wind project proposals. We have no wind industry on the south coast, so there is no conversation yet to be had on these or any other projects. That didn't stop them trying to drum up hysteria, though. They said they are worried about the potential look and about the potential noise. What did I hear were whispers of the solution? Nuclear power instead. Apparently, if tourists were to come to Kiama to see our famous majestic blowhole, they would rather see a nuclear reactor blocking their view than some wind turbines off in the distance. It beggars belief.

Once again, I will promise this to the people of the south coast: I will always stand in the way of anyone who thinks our beautiful coastline can be muddied with a nuclear reactor. I will stand with each and every person, farmer, business owner and conservationist who knows that nuclear power can only do more damage than good in our community. I say to the Liberals and Nationals, both here and on the south coast, who continue to tout this as a solution to our country's energy needs: we will oppose you at each and every opportunity. We will not have nuclear power on the south coast—not now, not ever.

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