Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Again, the hyperbole is not fact. We have said that Australia will not be responsible for accepting and disposing of intermediate or high-level radioactive waste from other countries. The Deputy Prime Minister has made clear we will manage low-level radioactive waste responsibly and consistently with nuclear safety standards, as we do with other low-level radioactive waste generated across the country for medical or research purposes. Low-level radioactive waste generated from the routine maintenance of submarines, including through rotational force-west activities, will be managed at HMAS Stirling. The management of spent fuel from our own conventionally nuclear powered submarines is not expected to be required until the 2050s. Obviously governments will go through the process of dealing with that issue.