JCU boffins talk nuclear

A CALL by two North Queensland physicists to establish a nuclear power station in Townsville has fallen on deaf ears, with local politicians quick to attack the proposal.Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney shut down the possibility of a nuclear plant being developed in the region after James Cook University physicists Dr Peter Ridd and Dr Thomas Stieglitz floated the prospect on environmental grounds.
The pair yesterday urged politicians, business leaders and environmentalists to look at the possibility of nuclear energy as a greener alternative to coal.
"The main obstacle to a nuclear power station is that people do not realise how safe modern reactors are," Dr Ridd said.
"I would be very happy to have one in my back yard. I would much rather have a nuke over the back fence than a coal-fired power station."
Dr Stieglitz said Australians should not fear a repeat of previous nuclear disasters such as the devastating accident that occurred at Chernobyl two decades ago.
"It is unfair to compare the unstable 1950s Soviet-era power stations with modern western reactor designs, which cannot explode," he said.
"More people are killed or affected by the coal industry every year than by nuclear power."
But Cr Mooney moved quickly to end the debate by claiming public opinion was currently against nuclear energy in the region.
He said natural gas was the future for Townsville and pleaded with the Federal Government to get the PNG gas pipeline project back on track.
"Natural gas will give Townsville region a bright future," Cr Mooney said.
"I don't think the comments by the scientists have been properly considered. There's been no real support from the community for a nuclear power plant in the Townsville region.
"I think the local community would be alarmed to hear this issue being canvassed by local scientists."
Federal Liberal MP Peter Lindsay said more debate was needed on the issue of nuclear power.
"Any discussions on sites for nuclear power stations is premature, because Australia needs to have a debate on whether we embrace nuclear energy in the first place," he said.
"The Federal Government won't be establishing nuclear power stations -- they will be established by companies and companies will invest in the establishment of power plants.
"But this certainly won't be an issue for decades to come, and Townsville will have a gas power station long before then," he said.
Bully cartoon by HARRY BRUCE