Embargoed until 6.00 p. m. F7/ 8
FOR PRESS 28 AUGUST 1977
REPORT TO THE NATION
In 1975, the Labor Government established the Ranger Uranium
Environmental Inquiry under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice Fox.
That Inquiry has since reported. The reports have become known
as the Fox Reports.
After the Inquiry had been established, the Labor Government also
signed and tabled in the Parliament a Memorandum of Understanding
with the companies involved with the Ranger Mine, committing the
Government of the day to joint development with those companies.
My Government has examined all these matters and the Fox Reports
very fully and very carefully. It has come to its decisions about
the mining and export of uranium with four major concerns in mind.
First, the need to help prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
Second, the need to supply uranium to a world that is short of
energy. Third, the need for a guarantee that the interests of
the aboriginal people are protected. And fourth, the need to make
absolutely sure that uranium development does not harm the
environment. Let me talk about these concerns for a while. First, the need
to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
The Fox Report regarded this as the most important hazard
associated with the nuclear power industry the nuclear power
industry for peaceful purposes.
My Government supports that view, and that is why last May I
announced the most stringent set of safeguards yet adopted by
any country.
If we are exporting uranium, we will be able to argue with effect
around the world, in the councils of the world, to make sure that
supplier countries maintain strict safeguards. We will be able
to act to make sure the international arrangements in relation to
safeguards are adhered to that they are improved as time passes.
We will be able to act forcefully in these matters, and advance
the cause of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. / But
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But if we just leave Australia's uranium in the ground if we
opt out of the world in relation to these matters Australia
will not be able to act with any effect, with any force, in
matters which are important to all of us and to our children.
There are other matters associated with the proliferation of
nuclear weapons, with the nuclear power industry the problem
of waste which I know concerns you. It concerned the Fox Report,
and it concerns my Government.
Let me emphasise as forcefully as I can that here the scientific
knowledge does exist. The technology does exist. The scientific
knowledge and technology have been applied to the problem of waste.
The technolocry is known. It has worked on a trial basis, and plans
are now under way to adopt it on a much larger scale.
We are not talking about some scientist's theory that has not been
applied, that might have doubts about it. The scientific knowledre
does exist. It is now going to be applied on a large scale.
I know people are concerned about the future generations in
Australia, about their children. We are concerned about that.
I have four children. Many of my Ministers have children. We
would not be taking any decisions that put at risk your childrens
future, or our childrens future.
There is one other matter reprocessing. Under the Australian
safeguards policy,.-any-country that purchases Australian uranium
would not be permitted to reprocess without the consent of the
Australian Government. There is a very clear re-tson for this.
One of the products of reprocessing is pl~ utonium. That can be
used in a reactor for peaceful purposes, for energy purposes;
but also, as many of you would know, it could also be used for
military technology.
Reprocessing, we believe, takes countries too close to military
technology at this stage. That is why reprocessing would not be
allowed under our safeguards policy without the prior consent of
the Australian Government.
Let me come now to the second of our major concerns -the need to
supply uranium to a world that is short of energy.
I think it is sometimes difficult for Australians to understand
that many countries in Europe and in the developing world are
very short of energy, short of natural resources.
I think it is difficult for us to understand this because we
have massive reserves of coal, significant reserves of natural
gas, reserves of oil, uranium, and many other minerals. Australia
is very well endowed with natural resources.
There are many countries around the world, the developed world
and developing, that have to rely entirely on the energies and
capacities of their own people, and that do not have the samne
resources as Australia. / That
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That does create international obligations of a country, such
as Australia, to make sure that others do not go short of the
materials that Australia can supply.
Sir Macfarlane Burnett a few days ago said " I believe the
majority of thoughtful people accept the inevitability for
at least an interim period of large-scale use of nuclear
energy in most parts of the world. Things being as they are,
nuclear power generators will be needed for the next twenty
or fifty years in most of the developed countries."
We have the energy which is necessary for other countries to
maintain jobs for their own people, to heat their homes in the
winter, to maintain their standard of living. If we refuse to
supply energy, that would be very serious indeed.
These are matters that my Government has had to take into
account in the uranium decisions. Therefore, subject to the
safeguards policy, we believe that we have an international
obligation to supply energy in an energ~ y-short world.
The third concern is the need for a guarantee that interests of
the aboriginal people are protected.
Even though my Government believes that it is important for
Australia's voice to be raised in international forums to
prevent the-spread of-nuclear weapons, and even though we
believe it important that Australia should supply energy in
an energy-short world, we would not have made the decision to
mine and export uranium were it not possible to protect fully
the interests of the aboriginal people.
We have accepted all the recommendations of the Fox Report in
this matter.
Aboriginal people will be able to earn and live on their
traditional land. They will be consulted in the developments
that take place. They will be able to influence those developments,
and substantial sums from royalties will be devoted to
the welfare of the aboriginal people in the Northern Territory.
The fourth concern involves the need to make absolutely sure
that uranium mining does not harm the environment.
In the Alligator Rivers Region we have one of the most important,
and, in many senses, one of the most fragile, environments
anywhere,' in the world. It is important to Australia, and it
is important, environmentally, to everyone.
There will be a National Park, one of the largest and most
significant in the world. There will be a plan of management
that will arrange a very strict control. Until the whole Park
is proclaimed, other areas will be under control under strict
supervision. / There
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There will be a code for mining that will make sure that
mining operations are again under very stringent control indeed.
I emphasise the decision my Government has made concerning the
mining and export of uranium has been taken with the highest
sense of moral responsibility to all Australians and to the
wider world community; a sense of responsibility to provide
energy in an energy-short world; but in particular a sense of
responsibility to make sure that Australia's voice can be used
with effect to prevent nuclear proliferation.