STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE RT. HON. HAROLD HOLT:
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL RADIATION
ADVISORY COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 1965
I lay on the table of the House the Report dated
November, 1965 of the National Radiation Advisory Committee.
In pursuance of its function of advising the
Commonwealth Government, through the Prime Minister, on
matters concerning the effects of ionizing radiation on the
Australian community, the N. R. A. C. reviewed during 1965 those
matters studied by the Committee since it presented its
previous Report in July, 1962.
In its present Report the Committee has concentrated
its attention on fallout from nuclear tests. An assessment
is made of the possible effects on health in Australia of
fallout from all tests conducted to date. Proposals by France
to conduct weapons tests in the South Pacific Ocean in the near
future have also been considered and possible effects on health
in Australia evaluated.
On the question of hazards arising from those tests
already conducted, fallout monitoring programmes have continued
over the Australian continent since the Committee's last Report
in 1962, and the Committee has accordingly had at its disposal
a most extensive body of data on the levels of fallout radioactivity
in Australia. The Report presents these facts lucidly
and in lay language. Appendices to the Report give the detailed
technical information. Having reviewed all of the information
available to it, the Committee sees no reason to amend its
previous conclusion that there is no significant hazard to the
2
e-2
health of the Australian population now or in the future as a
result of past nuclear tests.
The French Government will probably commence later this
year the testing of nuclear weapons on a site being established
for this purpose in the South Pacific Ocean, some 4,000 miles
east of Australia. It is expected that at first the tests will
involve only low yield nuclear weapons but later megaton weapons
will be included. In assessing the possible position in Australia
the Committee had available an analysis of the problem prepared by
the Atomic Weapons Tests Safety Committee. The National Radiation
Advisory Committee is satisfied that the proposed weapons tests
are unlikely to lead to a significant health hazard in Australia.
I might add that this assessment is supported by the
report received from Professor E. W. Titterton and Mr. J. R. Moroney
of their discussions with the French authorities in Paris last
December in regard to the safety measures being undertaken by the
French. The major programmes for monitoring fallout in Australia
are carried out under the direction of the Atomic Weapons Tests
Safety Committee; much of this work features in the Report now
before you. The National Radiation Advisory Committee, being
familiar with these current programmes and also with those to be
implemented in relation to the proposed French tests, believes
that they are adequate to provide for thorough assessment of the
situation in Australia. The measurement and analysis which must
be made to provide reliable information on these low levels of
radioactivity is an exacting and slow process and, obviously, we
cannot expect useful statements of fallout levels to be made on a
day-to-day basis. However Honourable Members can be assured that
adequate monitoring programmes will be implemented on a continuing
basis to keep a check on the level of radioactive fallout following
future tests.
CANBERRA 17th March. 1966.