News Update

JUNE 2007

PM supports uranium enrichment investigation
Prime Minister John Howard is supporting an investigation into
domestic uranium enrichment, after it was revealed the Government was
in talks with businesses looking to establish a facility in Australia.

Switkowski: No chance for nuclear without support
With an election expected to be dominated by environmental and energy
policy and climate change, the Government's anointed nuclear champion
is pushing for Canberra to underwrite Australia's nuclear industry.

Nuclear doesn't have power to halt global warming.
Nuclear power would only curb climate change by expanding worldwide at the
rate it grew from 1981 to 1990, its busiest decade, and keep up that
rate for half a century, a report said this week.

Uranium to Russia
AUSTRALIA is set to strike a controversial nuclear deal with Russia.

Green groups steps up climate change campaign
Ten green groups will today launch the largest community climate
change campaign in Australia targeting federal MPs.

Company plans uranium plant pitch to Fed Govt
Nuclear Fuel Australia (NFA) says it will make a submission to the
Federal Government proposing a new uranium enrichment plant in
Australia.

SA Premier in dark on uranium enrichment submission
Premier Mike Rann says South Australians have a right to know if any
nuclear enrichment plant is considered for the state.

Uranium enrichment not top priority, says Switkowski

The head of Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation,
Ziggy Switkowski, says uranium enrichment is feasible in Australia
but that nuclear power should be a higher priority.

No sites mooted in uranium enrichment report, says author
One of the authors of a submission for a uranium enrichment plant in
Australia says there is no firm plan on possible locations.
Democrats demand inquiry into uranium enrichment
The Democrats say the Senate or an independent body should hold an
inquiry into uranium enrichment and other nuclear issues.

Company's nuclear plans 'shock' Garrett
The Federal Opposition says the Government should rule out uranium
enrichment facilities for Australia.

Uranium plant proposed
A PROPOSAL is being prepared for the Federal Government on building a
uranium enrichment plant.

Scientists reveal secret 1980s nuclear work
The ABC has learned that uranium was secretly being enriched at
Sydney's Lucas Heights reactor 20 years ago.

Warning on nuclear deal
THE Howard Government should be wary of striking a new uranium deal
with Russia because of that country's "dangerous disregard" for
treaties and human rights.

Liberal MP starts anti-nuclear petition against her own Govt
The federal Liberal Member for the south-eastern New South Wales
seat of Gilmore, Joanna Gash, has started a petition against her
own Government on nuclear power.

Blowing in the wind
NEITHER "clean coal" nor nuclear power can significantly reduce
Australia's greenhouse gas emissions before 2025, writes Mark
Diesendorf.

Carbon market to cut need for nuclear: Rudd
KEVIN Rudd insists a market for carbon emissions can achieve Labor's
target for reducing greenhouse gases without the need for nuclear fuel.

10 June Worse than Chernobyl: 'Dirty timebomb' threatens Europe.
A decaying Russian nuclear dump inside the Arctic Circle is threatening
to catch fire or explode, turning it into a "dirty bomb" that could
impact the whole of northern Europe, including the British Isles.

Anti-nuclear stance becomes law
PREMIER Alan Carpenter will introduce legislation this month to the
WA Parliament banning a nuclear industry in WA.

Navies to watch out for whales
WHALE sightings could shut down key US-Australia war games being held
off the Queensland and Northern Territory coasts this month.

No foreign waste for Muckaty nuclear dump
The Federal Science Minister, Julie Bishop, has restated that there
are no plans to establish a dump for overseas nuclear waste at
Muckaty Station, a remote site north of Tennant Creek in the Northern
Territory.

Premier opposed to nuclear power
The Premier Paul Lennon has repeated his opposition to
nuclear energy in Tasmania.

Russia, Australia could sign new nuclear power treaty in Sept.
MOSCOW, June 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Australia have coordinated a
new nuclear energy agreement and may sign it in September, Australia's
nuclear security chief said Tuesday.

`David v Goliath' Indigenous nuclear campaigner wins national environment award
Veteran Aboriginal activist Kevin Buzzacott has been awarded the Australian Conservation Foundation's 2007 Peter Rawlinson Award for two decades of work highlighting the impacts of uranium mining and promoting a nuclear free Australia.

Minister rejects nuclear dump bid
LIBERAL delegates have urged the Howard Government to set up a
worldwide nuclear dump as Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane accused
the states of hypocrisy, warning that one was keeping nuclear waste
in a hospital car park.

Nuclear push gains momentum
THE Federal Government will consider dismantling legal barriers to
the development of nuclear power before the election, the Minster for
Industry, Ian Macfarlane, said yesterday.

Referendum on nuclear power
PREMIER Alan Carpenter will hold a referendum if the Federal
Government tries to override state laws and establish a nuclear power
plant in WA.

Street talk -- Uranium mine
Would you support the development of a uranium mine in Tasmania?

Uranium hopes soar
THE push is on to mine uranium in central Tasmania with a Western
Australian miner testing historic high-grade ore south of Rossarden.

MAY 2007

PM facing fight over nuclear powers
The New South Wales Premier, Morris Iemma, has reacted angrily
to the Prime Minister's proposal to take over state laws which
ban the development of nuclear power industry


Canberra's nuclear power play against states
The Federal Government is seeking legal advice on whether it can
force the states to allow the construction of nuclear facilities,
including power stations, inside their borders.

Pine Gap trespass trial starts
FOUR anti-war protesters face up to seven years in jail for breaking
into the top-secret Pine Gap defence satellite tracking base.

ANSTO reiterates nuclear waste dump safety
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
says
the nuclear waste dump proposed for Muckaty Station in the
Northern
Territory will be completely safe.

NT nuke waste deal a joke: Garrett
Labor's environment spokesman Peter Garrett says all Northern Territorians
should feel let down by the consultation process for a nuclear waste site
at Muckaty Station.

Clan allows nuclear dump for $12m
ABORIGINAL elders in a remote Northern Territory community
have agreed to accept $12 million for allowing Australia's first
national nuclear waste dump to be built on their land.

Nuke dump process not a joke, says Bishop
The Federal Science Minister has rejected the Northern Territory
Government's claims that the consultation process for the nuclear
waste site at Muckaty Station was a joke.

Nuke site deal
MUCKATY Station near Tennant Creek has been
nominated by the Northern Land Council (NLC) as the site for the
national nuclear waste facility.

Jabiluka owners deny mining deal
JABILUKA'S Aboriginal owners in the Northern Territory yesterday
slapped down mining giant Rio Tinto's optimism for restarting uranium
mining at the site by reaffirming their opposition to the project.

Owners sink Rio's Jabiluka hopes
Rio Tinto's hopes that its uranium subsidiary Energy Resources of
Australia would soon secure Aboriginal approval for the development
of the $50 billion Jabiluka deposit in the Northern Territory have
been dashed, sending ERA shares down 5 per cent.

Nuclear power a turn-off: Flannery changes stance

Rio big talk on Jabiluka backfires as Mirrar people say no
RIO TINTO'S hard sell this week on its rising hopes for a near-term
clearance from the Mirrar people to develop the $50 billion Jabiluka
uranium desposit in the Northern Territory has backfired on the mining giant
Rudd defends uranium u-turn
Labor's plan to expand uranium mining but oppose nuclear power
is not hypocritical,Labor leader Kevin Rudd says.

ALP: No U-Turn - No expansion of uranium mining
Saturday April 27th, the 400 delegates to the Australian Labor Party
National Conference will vote to discard or retain the long-standing
NO NEW Uranium Mines policy. Join the public lobby to stop an expansion
of uranium mining in Australia.
Radiation leak inquiry
THE Defence Department is conducting an investigation and review of
its use of radioactive tritium in military equipment after
contamination of an army barracks in suburban Brisbane.

Environmentalists Do Not Support Nuclear Power: Critique of James
Lovelock and Patrick Moore


APRIL 2007

Nuclear dead end
WE can only hope the link between uranium exports and weapons
proliferation gets due attention from the ALP, writes Richard
Broinowski.

Proliferation must shape the nuclear debate
Uranium is a moderate export earner, but a big principle in the Labor
Party, Anthony Albanese writes.

Rudd faces uranium challenge
KEVIN RUDD'S plan to overturn the Labor Party's long-held ban on new
uranium mines may be scuppered by attempts to impose stringent waste
and proliferation conditions on any new mines.

Uncle Kev's devotees celebrate credence for a clear water revivalist
A maverick social activist will be honoured in absentia today.
"UNCLE Kevin" Buzzacott is unlikely to catch his own benefit
concert today at the Northcote Uniting Church Hall. In fact, none
of his Melbourne friends can say where he is, but that's not an
unusual state of affairs.

Protesters target Sydney reactor opening
Anti-nulcear protesters plan to target Prime Minister John Howard
on Friday at the opening of a new reactor at Australia's only
nuclear facility.

Uranium theft terror warning
A TERRORISM expert yesterday warned that radioactive material stolen
from the Olympic Dam site could have been used to paralyse the city
in an attack if it had not been recovered.

Sustainable energy has powerful future
By Mark Diesendorf
OPPONENTS of renewable energy from the coal and nuclear industries,
and their political supporters, are disseminating the fallacy that
renewable energy cannot provide base-load power to substitute for
coal-fired electricity.

Limited scrutiny on nuclear projects
Controversial nuclear facilities can be approved by Federal
Government with only limited scrutiny, according to a respected lawyer.

ERA output downgrade to boost price of uranium
The uranium price, already at $US95 ($117) a pound, could be set for
further gains this week after Energy Resources of Australia said
production from its Ranger mine in the Northern Territory would be
flat this year and 25 per cent to 35 per cent lower next year

'Mini Grand Canyon' lure for students
THE Olympic Dam open-cut mine expansion will be a "mini Grand Canyon"
to lure thousands of visitors each year, Premier Mike Rann says.

States to retain powers on uranium mining, says Rudd



MARCH 2007


Herald Sun: Owners offered 100-year rent plan for nuke dump

Media Release: Secret dump dealing must stop


Sunday Mail: Labor facing U-mine turn

Giant EU Energy Flag
(Friends of the Earth Europe climate change action)


World Water Day, 22 March 2007