Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion moved by the Minister for Social Services on behalf of the Leader of the House. I have been out and about in the Hunter electorate listening to my constituents, and I've heard from people all across the nation about the opposition's proposed nuclear scheme. One thing that has been absolutely clear is that people have many questions. Whether they support or oppose the scheme, the questions raised by Australians show that they want more detail. Right now, the information Australians need to fully understand the proposal is simply not there.

We believe that, for a policy of this magnitude, which could have a significant impact on the future of our energy production and the direction of our country as a whole, it is critical that the details are provided to answer the questions that many Australians have. Whether Australia's future energy needs will be met by incorporating nuclear or whether our energy needs will be better served without nuclear power is an important decision that must be made with accurate information and proper consideration. In the interests of providing clarity about the true potential for nuclear energy to play a role in our future energy mix, I support the establishment of this House select committee. This committee will allow experts to be consulted and heard. Its role will be to inquire into and report on the feasibility of nuclear power generation, including the deployment of small modular reactors, in Australia.

The focus of this committee, as outlined by the minister, will include the deployment timeframes; fuel supply and transport logistics; uranium enrichment capacity; waste management, transportation and storage; water usage and impacts on other water-dependent sectors; our existing energy infrastructure capability, including brownfield sites and transmission networks; federal, state/territory and local government legal and policy frameworks; risk management concerning natural disasters or other safety concerns; the potential contribution to the overall energy mix; the necessary land acquisitions; and the costs associated with deploying, operating and maintaining nuclear power stations. These are questions that have all been asked since the opposition's nuclear announcement, but these are all specifics that we simply do not have concrete details about yet. These questions are crucial but have, so far, gone unanswered by those opposite. The future Australia that includes nuclear energy cannot be either embraced or rejected outright without these important specifics being thoroughly evaluated.

By establishing this committee, we will gain a clear understanding of whether exploring nuclear power is in our national interest. I look forward to the establishment of this committee and welcome the informed decision and discussions that it will bring regarding nuclear energy. The people of the Hunter deserve it, as do those that live in Lithgow, Collie, the Latrobe Valley, Port Augusta, Tarong and Callide. I also look forward to contributing information to the committee on behalf of my community in the Hunter.

I would also like to address a couple of things that the shadow minister for climate change and energy had to say as well. He has said that there was only a one-hour notice on this motion; that is not correct. They got this information yesterday evening. Whether his team passed that on to him or not is a different story, but they've had plenty of time to talk and think about this. For him to say that it's only been one hour is really misleading to the Australian public. I am looking forward to this committee and hopefully being a part of it and making sure Australians are well informed about what the possibility of nuclear energy is or is not.

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