The mayor of Kimba, a South Australian town originally designated for a nuclear waste disposal site, says Australia should have an open conversation about the energy source.
Mayor Dean Johnson’s comments come after federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton revealed his party would commit to constructing seven nuclear generators across the country if elected.
The Liberal-National Coalition is pitching the move as an alternative push towards net zero, in contrast to the Labor government’s focus on renewables.
The slated sites include Loy Yang Power Station in Gippsland of Victoria, Callide and Tarong in Queensland, Port Augusta in South Australia, Collie in West Australia, as well as Mount Piper in Lithgow, and Liddell in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
Mayor Johnson said the District Council of Kimba had yet to properly consider the matter, but said he would personally like to see more detail first.
“I’d like to see greater detail on the proposed power plant, but in general terms, I support the investigation and development of a business case to support a nuclear plant(s) for South Australia,” he told The Epoch Times via email.
“Without doubt, nuclear options have provided carbon-free electricity generation and baseload power for many countries across the world. I see no reason it would not also be a viable option for Australian network capability.”
Mr. Johnson said nuclear plants were also ideal for the environment because of their small footprint—compared to solar, wind, and battery farms—and because they could connect to existing transmission networks.
“I believe social license is vital for successful implementation of any nuclear reactors. It must be supported by the hosting community,” he said.
Contentious Decision Over Kimba’s Waste Facility
The small town of Kimba with a population of 1,000 is located 30 kilometres from Napandee, a designated site for nuclear waste storage.
Successive governments had committed about $108.6 million (US$72.5 million) towards preparing the site near Kimba between 2014 to 2023, according to Resources Minister Madeleine King.The case was lodged by the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation which argued there was an Indigenous sacred site in the area, that they did not consent to the facility, and that they were excluded from a “community ballot” that voted in favour of the project.
The Corporation was later awarded the Rawlinson Award by the Australian Conservation Foundation for its campaign.
“For seven years, against sustained pressure and propaganda, they said No.”
However, an earlier local ballot of residents conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission found 61.6 percent of voters in the community favoured the plan, compared to 38.4 percent.
“The positioning of a national radioactive waste management facility was a significant opportunity for our region, and that has now been taken away,” the mayor said in a statement (pdf) on Aug. 10, 2023.
“As a council, we have undertaken a significant level of planning and critical decision making for the economic future of our community on the basis the radioactive waste facility would proceed.”Meanwhile, the debate over going nuclear continues, with the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) latest roadmap to net zero eschewing the option because it is “not permitted” under law.
