Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I can provide some information. Senator, you have suggested that it is an unorthodox arrangement that it is not in the science portfolio. I have been advised that locating the radioactive waste management policy function as part of the resources policy function has been the prevalent arrangement over the last 30 years, so it is not unusual.

Radioactive waste policy has been the policy responsibility successively of the Department of National Development and Energy, the Department of Resources and Energy, the Department of Primary Indust­ries and Energy, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and now the resources division of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. It was only in the period 2001 to 2007 that the radioactive waste function was located in the Department of Education, Science and Training. It was reunited with resources because of the commonality of the nuclear issues involved in uranium mining and radioactive waste policy deliberations.

Regardless of the location of this function, it continues to have access to the advice of relevant expert Commonwealth agencies, including the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation in the innovation portfolio and Geoscience Australia in the Resources and Energy portfolio.