Mining companies welcome Govt debate on uranium

TONY EASTLEY: Mining exploration companies have welcomed the Federal Government’s inquiry into uranium mining and nuclear energy.

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, AMEC, is holding its National Congress in Perth today.

AMEC represents the mid-range and junior explorers, which have been identifying uranium deposits in Australia in recent years.

The Association says total spending on exploration has fallen by more than half in the past five years.

David Weber spoke to the Association’s Chief Executive Justin Walawski.

JUSTIN WALAWSKI: We’re looking now for input from experts rather than from interested amateurs, and I think a lot of the discussion to date has been punctuated in part by interested and well meaning amateurs, but not necessarily those well-equipped to enter into the debate.

DAVID WEBER: The Prime Minister believes that community attitudes towards nuclear power are changing. Do you think community attitudes are changing?

JUSTIN WALAWSKI: I think people are becoming a little more aware. I talked a little earlier about interested amateurs.

In amongst those interested amateurs there’s been some information that’s been salient and has been useful for the general public to come to some understanding about nuclear power, particularly in Australia.

Elsewhere in the world they’re very familiar with it and have had access to a lot of information for quite some time, but in Australia we’ve been almost quarantined from it, because of the policies here.

DAVID WEBER: Do you think Australia will more likely mine uranium, send uranium overseas before projects begin in Australia to enrich uranium?

JUSTIN WALAWSKI: I would hope so. In fact, we need to disentangle two parts of this discussion. One is the issue of whether we should mine uranium and the other is, or do we enter into looking at nuclear power for Australia’s needs?

We’ve got a 30 per cent, some say 40 per cent of the world’s known reserves. Right now we have a policy which I think internationally would be seen as ludicrous, at best, and to be taken seriously and be an active participant in any discussion or any debate over the safety that attaches to nuclear power, then we need to be an active supplier.

If we are not going to mine uranium, if we’re going to continue to adopt a no new mines policy when the world is screaming out for ways in which to address climate change, then we fail to be as strong and be as active, and be as strong a contributor as we possibly could be.

TONY EASTLEY: The Chief Executive of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, Justin Walawski speaking to David Weber.

Source: www.abc.net.au