Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's report No. 3 of 2024, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation: nuclear medicine facility project.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's third report for 2024. This report considers a proposal referred in November last year from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation for its nuclear medicine facility project. The total cost of the proposed ANSTO project is $619.23 million. Since the late 1970s, ANSTO has produced a variety of nuclear medicines, supported scientific nuclear research and advised the government on matters relating to nuclear medicine. ANSTO produces nuclear medicines for diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses and currently supplies 75 to 80 per cent of all nuclear medicine used in Australia. This is between 10,000 and 12,000 procedures each week—time-bound, time-sensitive material shipped all around Australia overnight.

On average, every Australian is likely to benefit from nuclear medicine and will require at least two doses or two procedures during their lifetime. This project will secure Australia's access to a long-term study of vital nuclear medicines by replacing an existing, nearly half-century-old manufacturing facility at the Lucas Heights campus, which has reached the end of its useful life. The replacement facility will be a two-storey building with a site footprint of approximately 6½ thousand square metres. The new facility will be able to produce the nuclear medicines—technetium, lutetium and iodine—at a greater capacity than the existing facility, ensuring an Australian supply of nuclear medicine, even in the event of increasing demand. The facility will also support the export of nuclear medicine to our region.

Investment in the nuclear medicine sector has a range of economic benefits for the Australian public, especially given projected shortages in imaging and medicine capability worldwide. Socioeconomic benefits will flow to industry, healthcare professionals, the nuclear medicine research sector and, obviously, patients. Australia's ability to manufacture nuclear medicine products for domestic use is dependent on ANSTO's facilities at Lucas Heights. It is clear these treatments are continually evolving as new medical technologies develop. The new facility will continue to provide research facilities into emerging nuclear medicine technology.

The committee notes the ongoing question of nuclear waste and reiterates the importance of Australia obtaining a purpose-built facility for the storage and disposal of nuclear waste.

The committee would like to extend its thanks to all those who provided written and oral evidence in support of this inquiry. The committee—members of which I'm surrounded by at the moment—would also like to thank personnel from ANSTO for the tour, provided to the committee, of the Lucas Heights campus. It was very impressive. The committee was struck by the passion and commitment that staff have for their important roles, knowing that they are often involved in life or death situation for patients at the end of the process.

The committee recommends that it is expedient the proposed work be carried out. I commend the report to the House.

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