NSW: Australians need to accept nuclear power: Howard

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2006
NSW: Australians need to accept nuclear power: Howard

By Lisa Allan

SYDNEY, Dec 29 AAP - Australians need to accept that nuclear power is part of the solution
to the nation's energy needs, Prime Minister John Howard says.

Releasing the final report of the government's Uranium Mining Processing and Nuclear
Energy Task Force today, Mr Howard said nuclear energy could help stem the inevitable
rise in the cost of electricity as the nation attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

When questioned on community fears about nuclear power, Mr Howard said he would not
object to a nuclear plant being built adjacent to his home.

"I wouldn't have any objection, none whatsoever. I'm serious, quite serious," he told
reporters outside his residence in Kirribilli today.

Mr Howard said the report by Dr Ziggy Switkowski clearly demonstrated there were no
sound reasons to prevent uranium mining in Australia.

He said the government would respond swiftly to the report's recommendations in the new year.

"Nuclear power is part of the solution both to Australia's energy and climate change
challenges," he said.

But Mr Howard admitted nuclear power was not a "silver bullet" and was not economically
feasible at the moment.

"It's not going to come immediately because it's not economic at the present time,
but it will become increasingly economic as we clean up the use of coal," he said.

Mr Howard called on the state governments to remove the existing restrictions around
Australia on the export of uranium.

He said Australia had close to 40 per cent of the world's uranium reserves.

"A nation like Australia, with all our uranium reserves and given our power needs and
the fact that they will double between now and 2050, we would be crazy in the extreme
if we didn't allow for the development of nuclear power," he said.

Mr Howard said increased energy costs were inevitable in the fight to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.

"If there are to be reductions in greenhouse gas emissions power bills will over time
go up, there's not much doubt over that," he said.

"There's an argument that if you don't put nuclear on stream and you rely more heavily
on mandatory targets in relation to renewables you could have even dearer bills, higher
bills."

Mr Howard said nuclear power stations would not be established overnight.

"The reality is we won't have nuclear power stations tomorrow, but over time, if we
are to have a sensible response, we have to include nuclear power," he said.

"It is foolish and backward looking and old fashioned of people to say we will always
oppose the use of nuclear power.

"That makes no sense and it will do great damage to Australia's energy security."

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KEYWORD: NUCLEAR HOWARD LEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)

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