Australian state leaders have responded to federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s plan to construct seven nuclear power plants across the country if elected.
The Liberal-National Coalition is proposing to replace retiring coal-fired power stations with nuclear facilities, as an alternative path towards net zero—rather than adopt a mass roll-out of wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries.
The slated sites for nuclear power plants 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.
Yet the response from state Labor premiers has mostly been negative, while Liberal Party opposition leaders have largely avoided openly supporting the concept—barring David Speirs from South Australia.
Victoria
One of the strongest opponents to the Coalition nuclear plan is Premier Jacinta Allan of Victoria.
“You say you will negotiate with the states. I won’t be negotiating.”
On June 20, she said she would “stand with the Victorian community,” particularly in Gippsland.
“When you think about the future of our state, when you think about the future we want our kids to grow up in … I want it to be a state where the energy source is clean, secure, and cheaper,” she told reporters outside Parliament House in Melbourne.
“And what’s really important about our pathway that we’re already on with renewable energy is that we know that it works. We have the lowest wholesale prices here in Victoria in that nation.”
Opposition State Liberal Leader John Pesutto said he had “no plans for nuclear as a state opposition,” but left the door open for future discussions.
“It may well be that a future federal government initiates a national discussion on nuclear power noting that there is a moratorium currently in place nationally,” he told reporters on June 19.
Queensland
Queensland Premier Steven Miles said he had “two big problems” with such a proposal: nuclear waste and cost.“We know this will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and that will mean people’s electricity bills will be higher and I’m concerned about the future generations of Queenslanders who will need to manage this dangerous radioactive waste forever,” he told ABC Radio on June 20.
“We just don’t need it. We have a detailed, costed plan to get to net zero emissions in our energy system through renewable, through solar and wind, and pumped hydro storage in particular, and that’s the plan we’re pursuing here.”
Mr. Miles also said it was not assured his government would sell the designated sites for nuclear power plants to the federal government.
“We still own those generators and we own that land and we own the transmission network from there and so without our cooperation it’s very hard to see how he can do it,” the premier said.
“I tell you what—if Labor is in government we will do everything that we can to block his plan to build expensive nuclear reactors on sites we own here in Queensland.”
The LNP opposition meanwhile, left the matter for future discussion.
“It’s not on our agenda, because quite frankly, that’s a matter for Canberra,” Opposition Leader David Crisafulli told reporters.
New South Wales
Labor Premier Chris Minns said he would not push to remove the state moratorium on nuclear.“Firstly, it costs a lot of money. Secondly, it takes a lot of time and we don’t have a day to wait, and I don’t think NSW consumers can pay any more when it comes to energy prices,” he told reporters.
“The last estimate I saw was that nuclear power generation in this state to replace coal-fired power would cost between $70-$200 billion. Who are they going to send that bill to?”
He also said there was significant investment in renewable developments and changing course now would be a “sovereign risk.”
“We’ve got $30-odd billion of private capital invested in renewable energy,” he said. “If all of a sudden you were to introduce nuclear power, that investment is at real risk.”
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he did not have “enough detail,” but was open to nuclear.
South Australia
Meanwhile, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the federal opposition was defying “market economics, science, and evidence.”“My concern is exclusively around cost. What we know from all the independent research that is out there is that nuclear power in the context of the Australian energy market is actually going to drive up prices rather than driving down,” he told Sky News on June 20.
“There’s only one or two things that have happened. Either Peter Dutton knows how much the cost is and he’s refusing to tell us—or, even more scary, he’s announced a policy without even knowing how much it’s possible.”
However, state Opposition Leader David Speirs was one of the few leaders to display overt support for nuclear.
“If elected in 2026, the South Australian Liberal Party is committed to establishing a Royal Commission into the potential for civil nuclear energy generation in South Australia, so that we can make informed decisions about the future of energy in our state, and create a long-term plan to make electricity more affordable and reliable for all South Australians.”
Mayor Dean Johnson said a local ballot conducted to gauge support found 61.6 percent of voters in favour of the site, compared to 38.4 percent.
Western Australia
WA’s Energy Minister Reece Whitby was harsh in his assessment saying there was more chance of seeing a “unicorn.”“This is a recipe for disaster. It’s a recipe for massive increases in power bills. On any measure it simply does not make sense,” he told ABC Radio Perth.
“In Australia, we have no legislative or regulatory framework. We have no workforce. We have no experience. It’s going to take years and years and years, and billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies to support this.
“You’ve got more chance of seeing a unicorn trotting down St Georges Terrace than you have of nuclear power being a feasible and reliable option for our energy system.”
The opposition again left the door open.
“I’ve always said I’m not afraid of nuclear energy,” said opposition energy spokesperson Steve Thomas.
“But the business case has to stack up and the community support has to be there to go ahead.”
