Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission press conference, Adelaide, 17 April 2015

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission is an independent inquiry into South Australia's future role in the nuclear fuel cycle. It commenced on 19 March 2015 and is expected to report its findings to the Government of South Australia no later than 6 May 2016. The commissioner is former Governor of South Australia, Kevin Scarce.

Key Dates

Event	Date
Terms of Reference announced	19 March 2015
Closing date for Issues Papers 1 & 4 submissions	24 March 2015
Closing date for Issues Papers 2 & 3 submissions	3 August 2015
Closing date for consolidated Issues Papers submissions	3 August 2015
Public hearings	Late 2015 - early 2016
Preliminary findings	February 2016
Final report	no later than 6 May 2016

Uranium Industry in South Australia

Uranium-bearing ore from the Olympic Dam mine

Uranium was refined at and exported from Port Pirie to the United States of America and Great Britain for military purposes under a seven-year supply contract during the Cold War . Premier Thomas Playford also envisaged a nuclear power plant to provide between 100 and 400 megawatts of power to the upper Spencer Gulf region by 1958, but the idea was never realised. The state's history in uranium mining dates from the early 20th century when radium was the original target at Radium Hill.

The State is also the birthplace of Australia's anti-nuclear movement , in which physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate Dr Helen Caldicott took a leading role at its genesis in the 1970s. Modern uranium mining commenced in South Australia in the 1980s with the development of the Olympic Dam mine - a controversial project which was met with waves of public opposition during its original development and later periods of expansion.

With the development of in-situ leach (ISL) mining, South Australia's uranium mining sector expanded and as of 2015, the state hosts four of Australia's five uranium mines - Olympic Dam (the state's only underground uranium mine), Honeymoon, Four Mile and Beverley.

In 1998-1999, a company called Pangea Resources proposed a nuclear waste repository in central Australia. The proposal was successfully opposed by the anti-nuclear movement and state legislation was enacted in 2000 prohibiting the development of such a facility in both South Australia and Western Australia. Pangea Resources was a joint venture involving British Nuclear Fuels Limited, Golder Associates and Swiss radioactive waste management entity, Nagra.

In May 2000, a protest opposing the Beverley uranium mine created controversy when a group of protesters were assaulted with capsicum spray and batons, and were falsely imprisoned in a shipping container by the South Australia Police. The matter was ultimately decided in the Supreme Court in April 2010, where Supreme Court Justice Timothy Anderson ruled in favour of a group of ten plaintiffs and awarded combined damages of $724,550.

At a meeting of the South Australian Resources Industry Development Board on December 7, 2001, its members held a discussion facilitated by Rebecca Lang of PIRSA. They discussed what the minutes describe as a "negative image of (the mining) industry in SA.... [and a] need for community support." Defining the public as a "target" the board asked questions including "How much of the problem in SA is due to uranium? Why is mining a dirty word?" The discussion also posed questions about the need to identify and work with "key opinion leaders in the community to advance its image" and to "influence the young." The role of the media was also discussed, as was the role of "chardonnay" demographics.

Uranium oxide (also known as yellowcake) is produced on site at Beverley, Honeymoon and Olympic Dam and exported via Port Adelaide. The export pathway is also open to future Western Australian uranium mines and is the subject of ongoing community opposition. Prospective uranium mine developers in Western Australia include Toro Energy and Paladin Energy.

As of 2015, Honeymoon and Beverley mines are in care and maintenance mode, and the state is undergoing a period of economic contraction. The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission seeks to study and consider the risks and benefits of expanding South Australia's role in the nuclear fuel cycle, which includes uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, nuclear waste storage and nuclear power generation.

Legislation

Expansion of Australia's role in the nuclear fuel cycle, with the exception of uranium mining and milling, is currently prohibited under section 10 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 and repeated in section 140 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. State legislation also prohibits nuclear waste storage and transportation within South Australia.

The objects of the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000 are "to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of South Australia and to protect the environment in which they live by prohibiting the establishment of certain nuclear waste storage facilities in this State." As such, the Act prohibits the:

1. Construction or operation of a nuclear waste storage facility
2. Importation or transportation of nuclear waste for delivery to a nuclear waste storage facility

The Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982 was reviewed by the Environment Protection Authority in 2013. A draft bill was prepared "to update administrative and enforcement provisions which have not been reviewed since the Act’s commencement" and was made available for public comment, accompanied by an explanatory report. The bill is expected to be considered by Parliament in 2015-2016.

Pretext

2005 – Olympic Dam mine expansion plan

When the multi-national resources company BHP Billiton acquired WMC Resources in 2005, the company obtained control of the world's largest single known deposit of uranium- the Olympic Dam mine in the far north of South Australia. BHP Billiton made its successful bid for WMC Resources in March 2005 and the offer was accepted by the ACCC in April. BHP Billiton was not the only resources company to express interest in the project. Xstrata had made prior takeover bids in late 2004, and French state-run nuclear industrial company Areva had entered into what were rumoured to be partnership discussions with WMC Resources in February.

The Olympic Dam mine had operated as an underground mine since the 1980s, producing copper, uranium, gold and silver at onsite processing facilities. After the acquisition, BHP Billiton began to plan what would become a proposed $30 billion expansion project, involving the excavation of a new open cut mine within the existing Special Mining Lease. The expansion plan was expected to be a boon to the South Australian economy- forecast to generate an estimated 23,000 direct and indirect jobs. Major new infrastructure would need to be constructed to facilitate the expansion, including a new airport at Olympic Dam, a rail link, a seawater desalination plant at Point Lowly, a barge-landing facility near Port Augusta and a worker village near Andamooka.

The company's access to the Government of South Australia was enhanced by the formation of the Olympic Dam Task Force in 2006, which has since served as a single entry-point for the company's interactions with the state. BHP Billiton also began to develop relationships with scientific and academic institutions with the objective of facilitating relevant technical, environmental and policy research.

The possible future prospect of nuclear power in Australia was discussed on the ABC TV program Stateline in February 2005. Phil Sutherland from the South Australian Chamber of Commerce said on the program:

"Uranium, as a commodity, has been the victim over a lot of years of a lot of mythology, a lot of misinformation and a lot of fear. We say let’s get the debate under way and let’s start discussing it and making decisions at all levels, community and government, based on good science."

Colin Keay, a physicist from the University of Newcastle told Stateline:

"Australia is ideally situated to use nuclear power. We have all the resources. We have a country where our geological stability is such that we can deal with the waste products... If Australia went seriously nuclear it would be an excellent state in which to have a nuclear industry, going from the enrichment processes right through to the fuel fabrication, on through to reprocessing of the final waste."

David Noonan

Hugh Possingham from the University of Queensland raised concerns about biodiversity loss due to climate change impacts, and expressed support for nuclear power saying that "nuclear power doesn’t seem to have major consequences for biodiversity. So, on that aspect, nuclear power would certainly be better than fossil fuels." He also said that while he favoured nuclear over coal-fired electricity generation, he would rather see investment in renewable energy sources. David Noonan, anti-nuclear campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation also expressed support for investment in renewable energy generation and in energy efficiency measures. He also described the nuclear debate in Australian as "misleading" due to a lack of discussion of the health risks related to nuclear accidents, and the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation. He told Stateline:

"Nuclear is never going to be an answer. Certainly there’ll be no nuclear power in Australia in the future."

2006 – Australian Nuclear Energy & the Switkowski review

Prime Minister John Howard (2006)

On 1 June 2006, a company called Australian Nuclear Energy was registered with three prominent Australian businessmen as major shareholders: Robert Champion de Crespigny (former Chancellor of the University of Adelaide), Ron Walker (former Lord Mayor of Melbourne) and Hugh Morgan (former director of Western Mining Corporation). Prime Minister John Howard supported the formation of the company, describing it as a "great idea". Five days after the company was registered, the Federal Howard Government established the Switkowski review into nuclear energy. The report of its findings supported uranium mining and nuclear power but argued against expansion into other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. In 2007, the media revealed that Australian Nuclear Energy had investigated the viability of building a 20-50 megawatt pilot plant in the upper Spencer Gulf area, at a cost of $70–150 million, and had spoken to American company GE about supplying a nuclear reactor. South Australian Premier Mike Rann responded to news of the investigation by saying:

"It won't be built in this state while I am the Premier or Labor is in power... read my lips, no nuclear power plant in South Australia."

Australian Nuclear Energy's project remained at concept stage and no further proposal was made. The nuclear power generation prohibitions under the EPBC Act 1999 remained unchanged.

The inaugural AusIMM International Uranium Conference was held in Adelaide in 2006.

2007 – Three mines policy ends

In April 2007, the Labor party voted at their national conference to abandon their "three mines" policy. The policy had previously restricted Australia to a total of three operating uranium mines at any given time. The vote was only won by a narrow margin- 205 to 190. Ministers Peter Garrett and Anthony Albanese remained outspokenly opposed to the decision due to the unresolved problems of nuclear waste storage and nuclear weapons proliferation. The abolition allowed the development of the Honeymoon and Four Mile uranium mines, which officially commenced production in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

Premier Mike Rann

South Australia's Premier Mike Rann and treasurer Kevin Foley lobbied the Federal government to abandon the policy, and Rann reflected on this during his opening address at the 2010 AusIMM International Uranium Conference. Of the Rann Government's role, he said:

"Our support for the exploration and mining of uranium can also be seen in the role we played in having the ALP overturn its "no new uranium mines" policy in 2007. I have to say, it was one of the more difficult tasks that I've been given over the years, but I personally campaigned strongly for that out-dated and illogical policy to be discarded and it has been. It's gone now, for all time."

South Australian Liberal party Senator Nick Minchin supported the lobbying efforts of the Rann government, saying:

"We of course welcome Mr Rann's advocacy of getting rid of one of the most stupid policies the federal Labor Party has ever had."

At a working dinner of the South Australian Minerals & Petroleum Expert Group (SAMPEG), the opening address by the Minister for Mineral Resources Development Paul Holloway responded to the result of the vote. It was recorded in the meeting's minutes thus:

"The narrow vote in the recent scrapping of the no new mines policy made apparent the amount of ignorance there is present regarding uranium. It will now be a challenge for the SAMPEG group to address the lack of knowledge in both the public and government... SAMPEG can now make sure the world is aware that South Australia is open for business in regards to uranium."

At the same meeting, the SAMPEG Chair Dr Ian Gould spoke on uranium. The minutes reflect:

"SAMPEG should consider that the public doesn't understand the industry and members could directly contribute to the continued enhancement of resources information in this state. Information has never been presented in relatively simple terms to the public. A lot of people at a Ministerial level still don't understand uranium. As a group, SAMPEG could play a role in talking to colleagues of Minister Holloway about the uranium business. This could lead to converting those at a Minister level to become ambassadors themselves. The more ambassadors we can bring on board the better off the industry will be."

In April 2008 the Australian Uranium Association expressed its view that in facing the challenges of climate change, consideration needed to be given to the role of nuclear power. The association wrote in its 2008 submission to the Australian Government's Garnaut Climate Change Review:

"The conditions for the development of nuclear power in Australia would require an alignment between the views of the major political parties towards nuclear power or, at least, the absence of outright rejection to enable a debate to continue; greater public support and acceptance; the necessary policy and regulatory infrastructure; and a commitment to develop the necessary skill base. None of those conditions is currently being met."

2009 – UCL Australia and Uranium Council are established, Jack Snelling visits AREVA

In 2009 an Australian campus of the University College London (UCL Australia) was established in Adelaide, beginning with a new School of Energy Resources. Two new entities at the University of Adelaide were also established: the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER) and the Environment Institute. All three entities would go on to receive substantial funding from or enter into research partnerships with BHP Billiton. That year, BHP Billiton published an extensive Environmental Impact Statement for the Olympic Dam mine expansion project, making it available for public comment.

The Federal government also undertook a review of its Uranium Industry Framework Implementation Group, replacing it with a new Uranium Council. The UIF was originally formed during the Howard Government by Minister Ian Macfarlane "to advance the uranium industry in Australia at the highest possible standards." Mark Chalmers has served as Chair of the Uranium Council and the UIF before it, since 2005. In 2011, he described the Uranium Council as "a combined Australian Government, Industry and Stakeholders committee (represented by BHP Billiton, ERA, Heathgate, Cameco and Paladin Energy) organized to review and remove impediments to Australia’s uranium exploration and development policy."

As of 2015, the Uranium Council's official vision is "to contribute to national well-being through the progressive and sustainable development of the Australian uranium exploration, mining, milling and exporting industry in line with world's best practice standards." Its objectives are:

• to change the basic legislative and policy framework for the "sustainable development of the industry"
• to facilitate the "economically competitive development of the industry"
• to improve coordination, consistency and efficacy of regulation and policy regimes
• to encourage "new and expanded investment in competitive uranium development opportunities"
• to provide an "opportunity for information and policy exchange on issues affecting the uranium industry"

The Uranium Council contains representatives from Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, the uranium industry and the Northern Land Council.

AREVA nuclear fuel reprocessing plant - La Hague, France (2008)

The Speaker of the Mike Rann government in South Australia, Jack Snelling, undertook a parliamentary tour in 2009 to established nuclear industrial facilities in France. It included visits made to a spent fuel reprocessing facility in La Hague and a nuclear power plant at Flamanville. Snelling returned to South Australia impressed by what his hosts Areva had shown him, and wrote in his report:

"It was clear to me that a nuclear industry can exist side-by-side agricultural and environmental industries. Normandy, where we visited, exports high-end foods around the world. It is not affected by its high dependence on nuclear power and the processing of spent fuel rods. South Australia's uranium deposits have the potential to transform our state economically. It is clear that the demand for electricity in the region will continue to grow and South Australia is well placed to take advantage of this."

Snelling's report showed his sympathy for the nuclear industry. He stated:

"The nuclear industry is one which is often maligned through the promulgation of out-dated and incorrect information, particularly those associated with the environmental and health effects of nuclear power and reprocessing. Criticism of nuclear energy is also often fuelled in emotive terms that avoid discussion on current nuclear generation."

Snelling ultimately recommended "that South Australia continues to expand uranium mining and exploration in this State and that we consider new ways of taking advantage of the increasing use of nuclear energy in the Asian region." He also met with Bill Muirhead, the Agent General for South Australia in London on the same tour.

2009 also saw the rise to prominence of Barry Brook as an advocate for nuclear power generation. Brook's work has been criticised by anti-nuclear activists including Jim Green who points to Brook excluding the consequences of nuclear war from his considerations. Green, a committed opponent, also challenged Brook's appointment to the Expert Advisory Committee of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission in 2015 and the committee's apparent pro nuclear bias.

Mark Diesendorf

In December 2009, renewable energy advocate Mark Diesendorf published an article on New Matilda entitled "Get ready for these nuclear fallacies." The article set out a number of statements Diesendorf claims have been or will be made by nuclear proponents and refutes them one by one. One of the many "fallacies" Diesendorf identifies relates to the argument that nuclear power is needed to provide baseload electricity in a decarbonised electricity mix. He says of the proposition that "you must choose between coal or nuclear":

"No, the real choice is between dirty and dangerous technologies (coal and nuclear) on one hand and clean technologies (energy efficiency and renewable energy) on the other. It's interesting that the biggest corporations pushing this fallacy — BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto — are mining both coal and uranium. With their false choice, they would win either way."

Another proposition Diesendorf refutes is that "if Australia had nuclear power, we would be responsible and would never develop nuclear weapons." He referred to the Australian Gorton Government's failed attempt to build a nuclear power station in Jervis Bay on Australia's east coast for the joint purposes of generating electricity and producing plutonium weapons. Concerned about the nuclear weapons proliferation risk presented by nuclear reactors, Diesendorf laments:

"The sad truth is that no government can be trusted to resist the temptation to enhance its political and military power on the global scene by using nuclear power to become nuclear weapons ready."

2010 – Barry Brook promotes nuclear power and criticises opposition

In February 2010, an article written by Professor Barry Brook from the University of Adelaide appeared in mining magazine Australia's Paydirt. In the article, entitled Why Australia should follow the UK’s lead, Brook praised France and the UK's commitment to nuclear power with respect to ensuring energy security and reducing carbon emissions. He wrote:

"It is easy to understand the UK Government’s decision to pursue nuclear power in a big way. A resolution, I might add, that has bipartisan political support. Australia, take heed."

Brook acknowledged that capital expense and regulatory risk remained problematic for new nuclear builds. He wrote:

"The UK wisely plans to cut through this red tape by reducing planning permission times from seven years to one year, and vetoing the "right" of local authorities to block construction. They’ve clearly learned valuable lessons from history."

Brook concluded his article by criticizing opponents of nuclear industrial development, stating:

"Lazy, recycled objections to the UK nuclear plan come from the usual suspects – Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. I’ve been forced to conclude that these so-called environmental organisations are not actually interested in climate change mitigation or clean energy supply. Their founding principles are to oppose nuclear technology in all forms. They are immune to arguments based on logic or scientific evidence. They ignore technological developments that solve the long-lived nuclear waste problem (it is burned as energy in fast spectrum reactors). They can’t seem to accept the fact that there is enough uranium to provide the whole world with zero-carbon power for millions of years. All they care about is being anti-nuclear. Fortunately, the world is passing them by. Australia should too. It’s time to go nuclear green."

Raymond Spencer speaks at a CEDA event in Adelaide

Later that year, Brook presented at the annual Uranium Conference presented by Australia's Paydirt magazine. He spoke of the approach of a "global nuclear power renaissance" and pointed to China as leading the way with new reactor construction projects. He claimed that a projected global uranium requirement of 7.5 mtpa in 2050 exceeded the proven resources calculated in 2010, but pointed out that an increasing uranium price would make additional deposits economically recoverable, including potential recovery of uranium from sea water. Brook suggested that supplying adequate uranium to fuel thermal reactors globally in 2050 would not be a problem, but that Australia's dependence on oil imported from unstable regions could be.

"Let’s just say that climate change is one of those issues connected with the use of fossil fuels and there are many others. The problem is not that fossil fuels haven’t delivered huge amounts of concentrated energy for modern society, the problem is that they’ve been depleted, they cause health concerns, local environmental damage and they also drive global problems such as climate change."

Brook also delivered a keynote speech at the AusIMM International Uranium Conference in Adelaide entitled Nuclear power can completely replace fossil fuels by 2050. Premier Mike Rann delivered the opening address at the event during which he expressed South Australia's commitment to uranium exploration, mining and development. He said:

""We want to insure that the resources industry continues to prosper in South Australia with a particular focus on uranium, where we believe we have a distinct competitive advantage, due to our unique geology, and our strong commitment to best practice environmental regulation... This government doesn't just say but proves that we're not only proudly pro-mining, pro-uranium, pro-business and pro-growth, but I believe that we can also be rightly proud of our resources and energy industries, and indeed their contributions to our nation's growth."

In August 2010, Raymond Spencer was appointed Chair of South Australia's Economic Development Board (EDB). Spencer replaced fellow businessman Bruce Carter in the role. Carter retained other influential positions elsewhere, including Chair of the Olympic Dam Task Force Steering Committee. Spencer was also appointed to the Executive Committee of Cabinet following his repatriation to South Australia. In September 2010, an interview with the Governor of South Australia Kevin Scarce was published in SA Defense Business magazine. He described his major role as Governor as "helping to sell the opportunities of investing in South Australia." He stated:

"I welcome visiting delegations and travel overseas helping to promote the state’s capabilities and aspirations."

Rupert Murdoch (2009)

In October 2010, Chairman of News Corporation Rupert Murdoch urged governments to invest in nuclear power. The Australian reported Murdoch telling a Sydney audience:

"I can assure you that in a very few years it will be possible to have all the energy we want from economic and cheap and small nuclear plants − which is anathema to a lot of people. But it would be safe. There would not be an energy waste problem. We don't have to rush into a lot of mad schemes, fouling up the country with windmills and other crackpot ideas which are very, very expensive."

He also told the audience to ignore the Greens, saying "whatever you do, don't let the bloody Greens mess it up." Born in Melbourne, Rupert Murdoch's first newspaper was the Adelaide News, which he inherited along with News Limited from his father in 1952. As of 2015, the News Corporation-owned title The Advertiser is the city's only daily newspaper. The newspaper has been accused of supporting pro-nuclear voices by the anti-nuclear movement, and has printed opinion pieces promoting nuclear power from a number of its staff writers and guests. Pro-nuclear opinion writers for The Advertiser have included David Penberthy, Lainie Anderson, Tory Shepherd, Geoff Russell, Barry Brook and others.

Bob Hawke (2012)

Former News International (News Corporation) director and South Australian businessman Bruce Hundertmark provided some insight into Rupert Murdoch's political influence in Australia during a 1997 witness statement. He said that they had been having breakfast together the morning of 24 March 1987 in London when Murdoch received a call from then Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke (another South Australian). Hawke had recently approved Murdoch’s acquisition of the Herald and Weekly Times group which resulted in Murdoch owning an almost 70 per cent share of metropolitan Australian newspaper sales. Hawke had called Murdoch to say he was seeking his support as he was considering calling an election. Hundertmark recounted that there was "a characteristic long pause" before Murdoch asked Hawke: "Well, Bob, what’s in it for me?" Bob Hawke is a long-term advocate for nuclear industrial development, dating back to the establishment of the Olympic Dam mine. Following his political career, Bob Hawke has served as an Honorary Member of South Australia's Economic Development Board from its establishment in 2002. Since taking the position, Hawke has expressed his support for nuclear waste storage in South Australia and for the state to enrich the uranium it produces.

Hundertmark also worked in the nuclear industry and in his latest business venture, he intends to develop nuclear energy projects that he believes could possibly attract $20 billion in investment to South Australia and create more than 100,000 jobs. His company South Australian Nuclear Energy Systems (SANES) has offices in Tokyo and the USA. Hundertmark envisages the company enriching yellowcake and producing nuclear fuel pellets and rods. SANES directors include former Labor federal MP Bob Catley, Ian Kowalick (a former Chief of Staff to Premier John Olsen) and climate scientists Professor Stephen Lincoln and Professor Tom Wigley of the University of Adelaide.

2011 – Fukushima disaster, Olympic Dam expansion approvals, UCL expands

In February 2011, Barry Brook presented at the RiAus in Adelaide with Kim Talos, a lawyer with energy sector expertise from UCL Australia. The two speakers promoted the prospect of nuclear power in Australia and no opposing viewpoint was offered. The event was facilitated by Gus Nathan from the University of Adelaide. Talos talked about the importance of securing low interest rates on loans, to cover the large "front end" investment required for new nuclear power plant projects. He gave an example of a plant in Finland, his home country, where a Bavarian bank had offered a commercial loan at a fixed interest rate of 2.6%. While Talos could not say exactly how this was made possible, he speculated that the consortium involved, of which Siemens was one party, had special bargaining power. He said that at interest rates of 10-15%, investment in new nuclear power plants was uneconomic. Talos made the point that the consortium involved in his example was entirely privately funded, and that the involved parties were investing in their own private power supply, isolated from the Nordic grid. The involved parties represented members of the advanced manufacturing sector, and as such were large electricity consumers.

In February 2011, the AusIMM Bulletin reported that Professor Göran Roos, South Australia's Thinker in Residence, had presented at an industry workshop in Brisbane entitled Vision 2040- Innovation in Mining and Minerals. Roos told participants that successful international companies were generating multiple revenue streams from mined resources, and encouraged innovation in technology, design and business models. He said:

"For the minerals industry, this could mean we move beyond ‘dig more, sell more’ to ‘dig once, and get paid three times’ – once for the mineral, once for the know-how and technology we can develop and export and once for managing and recycling the metal and selling it again."

Roos' advice was particularly relevant to South Australia's involvement in uranium production, with prospects for further contributions to advanced manufacturing to service the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium enrichment and the reprocessing and storage of spent nuclear fuel. In April, Minister Tom Koutsantonis told delegates at a uranium mining conference that he believed that developing uranium enrichment capacity in Australia was inevitable. While Premier Mike Rann recoiled from Koutsantonis' statement, Treasurer Kevin Foley supported Koutsantonis, telling the ABC:

"We should have a full-blown debate on the nuclear industry."

Professor Barry Brook

On March 20 and 21, Australia's Paydirt magazine hosted its annual Uranium Conference in Adelaide. The majority of presenters hailed from the uranium mining and exploration sector directly, with a few exceptions. These included: academics Professor Barry Brook from the University of Adelaide and Professor Anthony Owen from UCL Australia, politicians Tom Koutsantonis, Jon Ford, Norman Moore and Mark Parnell and Kyra Reznikov from the legal firm Finlaysons. During his presentation, Brook remained buoyant about the future of nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster which had occurred earlier that month. Australia's Paydirt magazine reported Brook as having stated:

"I am confident that in the long run the [Fukushima] incident will be seen in its proper context. It will lead to improved measures at protecting against extreme natural events, and strategically, it also provides greater encouragement for governments and energy utilities to move even more rapidly now to the very latest nuclear power technologies, than might have been the attitude prior the tsunami."

"The radiation dose threat to the public has been small, not one member of the public has died as a direct consequence of the reactor challenges, there has not been a failure of the primary containment vessels nor any large-scale release of radiation."

Brook also co-authored scientific papers in 2011 promoting "new energy-dense fission technology based on the full recycling of spent nuclear fuel" as a "techno-fix" for environmental degradation in Asia, and the Integral Fast Reactor in more explicit detail with Tom Blees, Tom Wigley and others. The journal Energy Policy also published a Viewpoint article by Brook entitled "Could nuclear fission energy, etc., solve the greenhouse problem? The affirmative case." The article purported to "show that the principal limitations on nuclear fission are not technical, economic or fuel-related, but are instead linked to complex issues of societal acceptance, fiscal and political inertia, and inadequate critical evaluation of the real-world constraints facing low-carbon alternatives."
In May 2011, The Advertiser published a list of the Economic Development Board's five goals. The top-listed objective was to "maximise the immediate and long-term opportunities from the strongly growing resources sector." Raymond Spencer said of the goal:

"We have a once in a life‐time opportunity to leverage resources sector development across the value chain to maximise economic and social benefits. We need to take advantage of the rapid growth of the resources sector and use this to put in place a comprehensive economic and social framework that will sustain prosperity in this state for the next 175 years. It is critical we capture SA’s best possible share of high value activities in resource related services, technology, engineering and manufacturing and use this as a way to move our industrial and manufacturing base higher up the value chain."

Spencer also acknowledged Göran Roos' enthusiasm for the development of SA manufacturing, stating that he "has been quite outspoken about the opportunity that exists in South Australia to evolve our manufacturing base up the value chain."

In June 2011, University College London signed a five-year $10 million partnership with BHP Billiton to establish the International Energy Policy Institute (IEPI) in Adelaide (at UCL Australia) and an Institute for Sustainable Resources in London. The IEPI was created to address challenges of complexity and sensitivity in the energy policy field through intensive research. Professor Stefaan Simons was appointed the inaugural BHP Billiton Chair of Energy Policy. Prior to his appointment at UCL Australia, Simons worked in Kazakhstan (the world's largest producer of uranium) where he established the School of Engineering at Nazarbayev University, Astana. Simons' research areas at UCL Australia have included: adding value to energy resources (including the economics of uranium enrichment in Australia), climate policy impacts and "energy epidemiology".

In October 2011 the Olympic Dam mine expansion plan received both South Australian and Federal environmental approvals necessary for the project to proceed. Nuclear power advocates Barry Brook and Ben Heard co-authored the first in a series of four feature articles for the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy. The series ran in the publication SA Mines and Energy until August 2012 and covered topics including: Generation IV reactors, reactor safety, waste management, small modular reactors, the capital cost of nuclear energy and the carbon implications of the Olympic Dam mine expansion in a global context.

The following month, the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) published a policy perspective document entitled Australia's nuclear options which provided a platform for Barry Brook and four other nuclear industrial advocates (Anthony Owen, Tom Quirk, Tony Wood and Tony Irwin) to express their views. In the document's preface, CEDA's Chief Executive Stephen Martin wrote:

"What we need now is political leadership from all sides to allow a rational debate, not one based on vested interests, ideological views or out-dated information or technology, but on current and projected technological or economic options available."

Also in November 2011, Timothy Stone, speaking as a future Visiting Professor to UCL Australia, supported Prime Minister Julia Gillard's decision to open discussions regarding exports of Australian uranium to India. Stone also called for Australia to enrich its uranium for sale, rather than simply exporting barrels of yellowcake. He told The Australian:

"It's almost a moral issue: How could you not look at the value of what's being given away?"

An unnamed spokeswoman from BHP Billiton said that if the Federal Government changed its policy to allow uranium enrichment, the company would review its policy. UCL Australia's Chief Executive David Travers also announced that Timothy Stone would lead research the nuclear fuel cycle at the International Energy Policy Institute in Adelaide, commencing in 2012.

2012 – Olympic Dam mine expansion deferred, AREVA office established

In April 2012, Dr Ian Gould gave a speech at the South Australian Resources, Energy and Infrastructure Conference (SAREIC) in which he referred to a long term plan to develop new industries facilitated by the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine. He said:

"Only months ago, we saw the signing of a long term State Indenture Agreement for the expansion of Olympic Dam, incorporating some tricky issues for the State and the company. These include balancing the cash flow implications of years of billion dollar spends before the new ore is accessed with the need for benefits from the operation to be extended into the wider community. The longer term challenge is to use the opportunity to build new industries, just as Broken Hill did in the last two centuries. These are questions the Economic Development Board is currently pondering."

In June 2012, Professor Barry Brook advocated in the media for nuclear power in Australia, including recommending the use of small modular nuclear reactors to power remote mining operations. Premier Jay Weatherill was asked about the Government's position on nuclear power, to which he responded:

"It doesn't represent the policy of this Government. Leaving aside the broader objections, there is a practical, financial objective that means that nuclear power for South Australia is unlikely to be viable."

In August 2012, BHP Billiton announced that it was deferring the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine, due to economic circumstances. The South Australian treasury, led by Treasurer Jack Snelling, announced anticipated reductions in employment and payroll taxes in response to the mine expansion decision.

Mike Rann, having resigned from his position as Premier of South Australia in October 2011 was appointed to the position of Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in August 2012.

Areva Resources' office - Wayville, South Australia (2015)

The uranium exploration and development company AREVA Resources Pty Ltd established an Australian office in Wayville, an inner city suburb of Adelaide in 2012. The company is a subsidiary of Areva Mines, France (formerly Afmeco Mining and Exploration Pty Ltd). Areva in France had previously hosted several South Australian politicians on separate parliamentary tours of their nuclear industrial facilities, including a Federal delegation led by Rowan Ramsey, and State delegations led by Jack Snelling (in 2009) and Duncan McFetridge (in 2006).

On 14 September 2012, CEDA hosted an event in Adelaide in collaboration with UCL Australia and Electranet entitled 2012 Climate Review: Science, Risk and Reality. Professor Barry Brook was an invited speaker at the event, and told attendees that carbon energy growth needed to be limited. He named nuclear and wind power as current alternative options, noting that generation costs need to be lower than coal in order for these to be taken up. He also advocated for the development of advanced nuclear reactors and "other forms of low-cost and zero-carbon energy sources" including the development of "more efficient and cheaper energy storage technologies if solar and wind are to be viable at scale." He said at the event:

"I'm predicting a future in which we can solve climate change and we can solve the problem of habitat destruction which causes biodiversity loss. It's going to require energy for desalination or to produce food... we are not going to need less energy... what we need to be sure is that energy is cheap, it's zero carbon and it's sustainable."

In October 2012, the Government of South Australia drew attention to advancements made in welding systems and processes by a South Australian advanced manufacturing company called K-TIG, based in Salisbury. The Manufacturing Works report's summary document notes its application to nuclear industrial development stating:

"The K-TIG system can perform a traditional six-hour weld in under four minutes – to a quality standard which meets the most demanding requirements of the nuclear, aerospace and defence industries. In addition to its 10 to 100-times speed advantages, the technology reduces power and gas consumption by up to 95 per cent."

Fukushima nuclear disaster (2011)

An academic analysis of national polling of Australians on climate change and the Fukushima nuclear disaster showed that nuclear power was less popular in 2012 (after the disaster) than in 2010 (before the disaster). The poll, with a sample size of 1,101 people over the age of 18 from around the country returned the following overall results:

Year	Oppose nuclear power	Support nuclear power
2010	31.7%	29%
2012	41.4%	24.4%

Further survey results from the same study showed that a majority of Australians believed that climate change is real and influenced by human activity but that nuclear power implementation is not a desirable response. The authors revealed that "expanding the use of renewable energy sources (71%) is the most popular option, followed by energy-efficient technologies (58%) and behavioural change (54%)."

2013 – Nuclear industrial advocacy intensifies, Holden closure in 2017 is announced

On 4 April 2013, Dr Ian Gould addressed attendees of the annual South Australian Minerals and Petroleum Expert Group Opinion Leaders Dinner, encouraging attendees, who had been selected from a broad range of sectors of business, government and the community, to serve as ambassadors for the resources sector. He told attendees that SAMPEG's "independent view is much in line with that expressed by the Premier" who was also present at the occasion. Gould described the "deep and covered resources in the Gawler [Craton]... [where] Olympic Dam-type resource "elephants" are still to be discovered" as a competitive advantage for the state, and said of the Olympic Dam mine expansion project:

"it is still one of the best ore bodies on the planet... BHP Billiton have the incentive and financial commitment and we have a lot of capability to develop enabling technology for OD."

In his speech, Gould also appealed for the establishment of a new Centre of Excellence to serve the resources sector. On 11 June, the establishment of a new Mining and Petroleum Services Centre of Excellence was announced by the Government of South Australia in partnership with Santos and BHP Billiton. At the time of the announcement, BHP Billiton had committed $10 million to funding "education, training and research activities through the Centre to enhance South Australia's capacity to meet the challenges of deep mining and processing." Beach Energy also pledged support for the centre, which was be located at Tonsley Park, on the site of the former Mitsubishi automotive factory which closed in 2008. The Tonsley Park hub also attracted Siemens, a German advanced manufacturing company, which announced that it would spend $5 million on a new development there. AAP reported that the new Siemens plant would "mainly be for the repair and maintenance of turbines used in the oil and gas sector." Siemens would move from their existing location in Lonsdale where 20 people were employed, to employ an additional 15 staff at their new premises. The Tonsley Park hub was attracting a growing cluster of mining, energy, medical and defence expertise and research capability. Premier Jay Weatherill said of Siemens' move:

"This is very much, for us, part of a plan to transform an existing manufacturing base in South Australia to an advanced manufacturing base."

David Pryke, Siemens' Vice President of energy said of the move:

"We’re in the business of creating technology for a sustainable future and it’s a natural progression of our commitment to doing business in South Australia."

Steve Bracks

In May 2013, former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks was announced as appointee to the position of Australia's Consul-General in New York. Bracks had spoken against the prospect of nuclear power in Australia while serving as Premier during 2007. Following revelations that a company called Australian Nuclear Energy was looking into the feasibility of a nuclear power plant near Portland, Victoria, he had told the media:

"I think it's a flawed method of tackling climate change... Certainly in Victoria's case, we will not be supporting any nuclear power generation or any nuclear power enrichment in this state."

The Coalition threatened to review Bracks' appointment to Consul-General in New York, should they win the Federal election. On 9 September 2013, Bracks was informed by Foreign Minister-elect Julie Bishop that he would be replaced in the role. The sacking was one of the first acts of the newly elected coalition government, led by Tony Abbott.

On 25 July 2013, Professor Stefaan Simons, the BHP Billiton Chair of Energy Policy at UCL Australia posed the question: Is it time for nuclear energy for Australia? and went on to discuss the prospect of a domestic nuclear power industry for Australia at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) conference in Sydney. The conference was dedicated to nuclear science and engineering and was entitled Nuclear power for Australia?

In August 2013, Simons continued his nuclear advocacy by publishing a discussion paper which posed the question: What would it take for Australia to develop a nuclear submarine capability? Simons pointed out that in many other countries, nuclear industrial development started with military applications, and later, extended to civil applications. The green paper also pointed out that there was a global shortage of nuclear regulatory personnel, stating that:

"In practice, the primary training ground for many potential recruits into nuclear safety inspectorates is a nuclear submarine engineering force. The existing nuclear regulatory bodies in Australia would benefit in the long run from the use of [nuclear-powered submarines] by the Royal Australian Navy."

On 18 August, Simons advocated again, this time for the establishment of a uranium enrichment industry in South Australia. He told The Advertiser that "an Australian nuclear enrichment industry, depending on the scale, could generate up to $4 billion of investment (from one plant), 600 construction jobs and provide up to 400 new permanent jobs over the next 30 years. And a similar number of decommissioning jobs."

Tony Wood, Energy Program Director at the Grattan Institute

The following night, Simons hosted Federal Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage Greg Hunt at a Grattan Institute event in Adelaide. Hunt outlined the coalition's climate change strategy and the conversation was chaired by the Institute's Energy Program Director, Tony Wood. The Grattan Institute's foundation partners were BHP Billiton ($4 million), the Australian Government ($15 million) and the Government of Victoria ($15 million). Simons receives funding from BHP Billiton.

Bill Muirhead, the Agent General for South Australia in London also engaged in nuclear industrial advocacy. In July 2013, he told The Advertiser:

"As a state with an estimated 40 per cent of the world's known deposits of uranium, it makes sense for South Australia to be striving to become the world experts on nuclear power... Given these vast deposits and that South Australia is one of the most stable places in the world geologically and politically, it could be argued we have a responsibility to ensure the safe disposal of the nuclear waste our uranium produces.''

The Office of the Agent General for South Australia in London is managed by the Government of South Australia under the Department of the Premier & Cabinet. It officially works as a single point of contact to:

• assist UK and European companies access the range of opportunities in South Australia
• coordinate information flows
• facilitate introductions
• arrange site visits with the aim of establishing new businesses in South Australia.

In December 2013, The Independent wrote of Muirhead that "he explains, with surprising earnestness, how he is banging the drum for foreign investment in everything from defence to mining." Senior government sources told The Advertiser that Muirhead is one of only a few agency officials to have direct access to Premier Jay Weatherill, a point supported by the Office of the Agent General for South Australia in London's website.

In The Advertiser's July 2013 list of the Top 100 ideas to grow South Australia, Bill Muirhead's idea was listed at number one. He suggested that SA should "develop a nuclear research and disposal facility to help address the greatest environmental and economic challenge of our time." Also appearing on the list was David Travers, Chief Executive of UCL Australia who said that SA should "embrace the nuclear debate". Travers had previously worked under Muirhead from 2007 to 2010 as the Deputy Agent General for South Australia in London. Chris Burns from the Defense Teaming Center said "we need to open our eyes to the nuclear industry. We should be digging it up, leasing it to the world and bringing it back for burial."

In October 2013 during an interview with members of the South Australian Defense Industry Leadership Program (a Defense Teaming Center initiative) Professor Göran Roos said of the prospect of nuclear industrialization in South Australia:

"People are fearful of nuclear because they don’t understand it… It’s not just the public but also politicians. Both need to be educated on the matter. Only then will they both be open to the idea of a nuclear industry."

In December 2013, South Australia's economic prospects suffered again with the announcement that General Motors Holden would be closing their Australian operations in 2017. University of Adelaide economic expert John Spoehr told The Advertiser that assistance of at least $1 billion would be required to stave off long-term hardship in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. He described the area as already suffering "recessionary conditions".

The Governor of South Australia, Kevin Scarce, began working with a number of business entities on a project entitled Shaping the Future of South Australia. The project was initiated by CEDA with Foundation Partners BankSA, South Australia's Economic Development Board, the Department of State Development, Flinders University and KPMG.

The Minerals Council of Australia's 2013 annual report represented the interests of its coal and uranium producing members, calling for Australia to keep "all baseload energy options on the table." It stated:

"As part of a medium term plan to keep energy costs down and CO2 emissions levels lower, Australia should also seek to fully capitalise on its rich natural endowment in all baseload energy sources, including uranium. The Government should reconsider the blanket prohibition on the use of nuclear energy as part of the broader debate about energy policy."

2014 – Shaping the future of South Australia

On 17 January 2014, a concept plan was published by the Defense Teaming Centre, developed by a group of participants in the 2013 South Australian Defense Industry Leadership Program. The plan, entitled A nuclear future for South Australia, mentored by nuclear industrial advocate Chris Burns, strongly advocated for nuclear industrial development. Expert feedback on the project was provided by Göran Roos and Senator David Fawcett due to their positions as "key political and academic influencers of Australian policy." The plan identified synergies with and benefits for the defense sector and included detailed steps deemed necessary in order to achieve such an outcome. The document concluded:

"We propose a three part strategy for how to establish a nuclear industry in Australia. Firstly, public and political opinion needs to be corrected to be in favour in the majority of such an industry, and this will be achieved by busting the myths, starting at grass-roots education in primary and secondary education, media campaigns and public debate. Secondly, State and Federal Government policies, and bipartisan support of them, which encourage and facilitate local industry to seek to invest in a nuclear industry must be created. A Technical Regulatory Framework, and incentive schemes should be developed to provide the means and impetus for industry to want to join in. Thirdly, industry needs to have the confidence and willingness to invest in people and infrastructure, to partner with each other, and the Government, and to take a long-term view of its involvement in such an industry."

In early February 2014, Premier Jay Weatherill expressed his opposition to nuclear industrial development, describing it as "a dangerous distraction". Leader of the Opposition Steven Marshall suggested that expanding the industry would require bipartisan support, and for the government to take the lead. He described it as "a potential for the future" and speculated that "it would be a long way off." The same month, Business SA, South Australia's Chamber of Commerce, published a document entitled Charter for a prosperous South Australia. The document made a number of recommendations, including a specific path of action to be taken with respect to nuclear industrialization. Recommendation 5.3 stated that Business SA should:

"Lead the debate of a nuclear energy industry in South Australia to take advantage of the State’s significant uranium resources (which amount to approximately 24% of the world’s supply). South Australia must have an informed debate on the costs, benefits and risks associated with establishing each component of the nuclear industry ranging from uranium enrichment and fuel rod manufacturing through to energy generation and waste storage. A State Government initiated debate should begin in 2014 with the aim of introducing a pilot project for either uranium enrichment or nuclear waste storage."

The Charter also detailed its recommendation, stating that "South Australia could start by investigating potential sites for nuclear waste storage in remote and geographically sound areas or examine the possibility of uranium enrichment, which is another form of value adding to our raw uranium." Business SA had advocated for consideration of the expansion of the nuclear industry in South Australia for years.

On 21 March 2014, the Energy Policy Institute of Australia held the Energy State of the Nation forum in Sydney. The theme for the 2014 forum was "Defining the Australian Energy Vision". A section of presentations entitled The Future Energy Mix featured a keynote address by Dr Peter Lyons, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy. The address was entitled: US nuclear policy and activities- domestically and abroad.

In his presentation, Dr Peter Lyons listed the following US Department of Energy programs as being relevant to Australia:

• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
• Used Fuel Management
• Accident Tolerant Fuels
• Uranium from Seawater
• Advanced Power Conversion
• Modeling & Simulation
• Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP)
• International Cooperation

Also presenting at the event was Chris Greig, director of the Energy Initiative at the University of Queensland. He listed regulation, public acceptance and cost as barriers to the development of nuclear power in Australia. Martin Ferguson and the Chief Executive Officer of ANSTO, Dr Adi Paterson also spoke at the event. Ferguson had spoken previously at the event in 2012 and 2013.

In May 2014, former Liberal Senator Nick Minchin commenced service as Australia's Consul-General in New York. Minchin was one of several successive ministers who attempted to establish a nuclear waste repository in South Australia under John Howard's leadership between 1998 and 2004. According to anti-nuclear activist Jim Green, Minchin had previously said of nuclear power:

"It would be impossible to get any sort of consensus in this country around the management of the high-level waste a nuclear reactor would produce.''

In his valedictory Senate speech, delivered in June 2011, Minchin reflected on his work as the only Commonwealth minister to have held responsibility for the entire nuclear fuel cycle. He said:

"During those exciting three years, I approved the Beverley uranium mine in my home state of South Australia, I commissioned a replacement nuclear research reactor at Lucas Heights, and it was my job to identify the central north of South Australia as the site for a national radioactive waste repository."

Alexander Downer

Minchin also acknowledged the political support of Alexander Downer, who had first appointed him to the coalition's front bench. In June 2014, Downer, a former Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, replaced Mike Rann as the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. While serving as the Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann legislated against the importation and storage of nuclear waste in South Australia and expressed staunch opposition to nuclear industrial expansion. He told the ABC in 2007:

"They've got zero chance of building a nuclear power plant in South Australia while I'm the Premier of South Australia, and while Labor is in power."

Rann reinforced the sentiment in 2011, adding "you won't see a uranium enrichment plant on my watch." Rann and Downer hold opposing views on issues of nuclear waste storage and nuclear industrialisation. In July 2014, KPMG published a document entitled Nuclear Power: its role in shaping energy policies in Asia Pacific.The report claimed that "more than 550 new reactors are expected to become operational globally by 2035. Of these, there are very ambitious new build plans for China (204), India (63) and Russia (59), coupled with 18 countries embarking on new nuclear programs for the first time." On barriers to nuclear development in Asia, the report states:

"Moving from research into commercial scale generation has proven to be a difficult process in the developing countries of Asia. These governments face protracted negotiations on financing especially with the newly added costs for safety measures after Fukushima... Nuclear new build is characterized by significant risk, including upfront construction cost and time risk, potential decommissioning liabilities for an undefined period as well as political and regulatory risks. In addition, an initial new build program will be subject to "first of a kind" costs."

In its conclusion, the report stated that "any country keen on developing nuclear power capabilities must generate greater awareness and build up knowledge of the nuclear sector. Doing so will go a long way to towards obtaining support from its citizens." In an Appendix to the document, KMPG stated of Australia:

"Infrastructure exists to support nuclear development (in Australia) but economic and political will so far remains elusive."

The full Shaping the Future of South Australia report was also published by KPMG (on behalf of the Foundation Partners) on 1 August 2014 whereby it was presented to SA's Economic Development Board. The report included a summary of the results of a survey which received 333 responses. In free-text sections, some respondents suggested that energy reform was desirable and that "nuclear energy and research" was an industry which could contribute to the state's future prosperity. Kevin Scarce then presented the Shaping the Future of South Australia report to the Government of South Australia and to the Opposition. At the time, Scarce expressed an urgent desire to stimulate the economy. He told The Advertiser:

"We need bold action, there’s no doubt about it. We have a low rate of growth and a high rate of unemployment and in two to three years’ time, a significant part of our advanced manufacturing sector is going to go."

Premier Jay Weatherill

On 11 August 2014, Premier Jay Weatherill announced South Australia's top ten economic priorities at a CEDA event held in Adelaide. The state's top economic priority was declared to be "unlocking the full potential of South Australia's resources, energy and renewable assets."

On 4 November 2014 the Energy Policy Institute of Australia made a submission to the Australian Government's Energy Green Paper. Their submission referred to prohibitions of nuclear industrial development as "discriminatory" and made the following statement regarding nuclear power:

"The Institute sees no reason why regulatory approval for future nuclear power development could not be entrusted to the well-regarded Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Authority (ARPANSA), supplemented by community representation. This would provide investors with an avenue to seek regulatory approval of the latest nuclear power technology on its merits and would enable investors to carry out technical research and economic and technical feasibility studies with a certain degree of confidence... The government’s role should be to sanction a trustworthy regulatory framework in which nuclear power development can be evaluated on its economic, technical, environmental and social merits."

In a footnote, the submission noted that there is currently an excess of generation capacity on Australia's electricity grids, but that this should not limit the prospective deployment of "the latest high-safety, small modular reactors (SMRs) in regional cities and in major mining and industrial locations." On 24 November 2014, Kevin Scarce presented the annual Investigator Lecture at Flinders University. His talk was entitled Divided we fall: Finding a shared vision for South Australia’s economic transformation and a brief question and answer session with the audience followed. The Commissioner was asked if he believed that there were opportunities for South Australia in alternative energy generation, particularly in wind and solar technology, to which he replied:

"I think there are opportunities... but I'd like to see a discussion on something that hasn't had a lot of airtime, because I simply don't know whether this industry is capable of providing South Australia with the sorts of jobs, long term jobs, with jobs and income... whether that can be achieved safely with the new-style reactors. I guess what I want to see is preparedness for us to discuss the difficult issues, so that we are informed, and that we do get an opportunity to look at it. I've seen some tables about the cost of various energy options. Let's get them out, let's understand what they are. I'm not just an advocate for nuclear industry- I'm an advocate for looking at everything that we do in this state to see what might be a sustainable opportunity for the future- not just sweeping things under the carpet because they're politically sensitive or it's not, you know, in our party manifesto. Let's trust the people of South Australia to engage in a mature debate on these issues."

In December 2014, two months prior to the announcement of the Royal Commission, Kevin Scarce spoke at an event organized by the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy. He said at the event:

"Why we haven’t looked at the nuclear option much more systematically I will never understand... We’ve got 30 per cent of the world’s resources here and it employs 1200 people nationally, its contribution to GDP is minimal."

Meanwhile, during 2014 the Minerals Council of Australia had been working to enable the export of Australian uranium to India. The MCA stated in their 2014 annual report that they had been "actively participating in the Prime Minister’s successful trade mission to India and the announcement of the Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement." UCL Australia's 2014 Annual Report revealed that Dr Timothy Stone and Dr Michel Berthelemy had been undertaking a research project in 2014 entitled Nuclear fuel cycle strategies. With reference to Australia as a major uranium producing country, the description of the research read:

"This project is considering international strategies to manage the nuclear fuel cycle with particular focus on international options to improve nuclear waste management. One of these options could include nuclear fuel leasing, whereby a uranium producer country, such as Australia, could lease its uranium and recover spent fuel material at the end of the nuclear fuel cycle. We argue that such a proposal could present economic benefits and improve non-proliferation regime, but, clearly would be difficult to implement due to current laws and political opposition."

Also during 2014, UCL Australia student Owen Sharpe undertook a Masters dissertation which aimed "to develop a legal and regulatory model for the establishment of a commercial Australian global Nuclear Fuel Leasing program." Sharpe posed the question: "what will be required to overcome the legal and regulatory barriers to Australian nuclear fuel leasing?" and was supervised by Katelijn Van Hende from UCL and Julia Dnistrianski from Finlaysons Lawyers in his work. In February 2015, Sharpe, also a lawyer and commerce graduate, was employed as a Graduate Commercial Officer at the Department of State Development.

2014 – Government appointments and sackings

Former Deputy Agent General Matt Johnson returned to Adelaide in 2014 to take the position of Executive Director, Investment, Trade and Strategic Projects at the Department of State Development. At Kevin Scarce's Investigator Lecture event, Johnson received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Flinders University in recognition of his professional achievements and service to both university and state. While posted in the UK, Johnson worked under Agent General Bill Muirhead, an avocate for nuclear power in Australia.

Kym Winter-Dewhirst speaks for BHP Billiton (2012)

In January 2015, Kym Winter-Dewhirst commenced public service in the position of Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier & Cabinet. Winter-Dewhirst has a long professional history with the Olympic Dam mine project, which produces uranium oxide, the raw input material for nuclear fuel.

Winter-Dewhirst previously worked for WMC Resources as manager of government relations, and remained with the project after WMC was acquired by BHP Billiton. Under BHP Billiton, Winter-Dewhirst's senior executive positions have included Vice President External Affairs - Uranium Customer Sector Group and Vice President Government and Community Relations Olympic Dam. In his role as Vice President External Affairs he briefed the Minister of BHP Billiton's intention to undertake heap leaching mineral processing trials at Olympic Dam. Federal environmental approval was granted for trials to proceed on 29 August 2014. On 5 September, it was announced that Kym Winter-Dewhirst would be appointed to Chief Executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet and that he would assume the role in early 2015.

In January 2015 Winter-Dewhirst was responsible for the sacking of 11 executives within the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Critics felt the process was unnecessarily brutal, with at least one marched from the building "like a criminal about to confront the gallows". Winter-Dewhirst told staff that a new Executive Committee (ExCo) would meet in February "with a focus on business planning, delivery measurement and reporting, as well as embedding our values." The message was delivered via email. Premier Jay Weatherill referred to Winter-Dewhirst's restructuring as helping to create an "engine room of policy" stating that "it was his decision, not my decision, but I fully support it."

Inquiry begins (2015)

Commissioner Scarce answering a question in relation to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission at a public forum held at Bonython Hall, 22 May 2015

In February 2015, Premier Jay Weatherill announced that the Government of South Australia would be undertaking a Royal Commission to investigate South Australia's potential future role in the nuclear fuel cycle. The Terms of Reference for the commission were set following two rounds of public submissions which were subsequently published on the Government of South Australia's YourSAy website. Former South Australian Governor Kevin Scarce was announced as Royal Commissioner on 9 February.

Questions and discussion followed the announcement of the Royal Commission in both houses of the South Australian Parliament. Labor Member for the Legislative Council Tung Ngo demonstrated his pro-nuclear position on 12 February by advocating in detail for the establishment of uranium enrichment capacity and a nuclear waste repository in South Australia. Ngo had previously worked as Principal Policy Advisor for Jack Snelling, and during his time in the role was acknowledged for his support of the Defense Teaming Centre. The Defense Teaming Center has been a public advocate for nuclear industrial development in South Australia since 2013 through media spokesperson and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Burns.

On 25 February 2015, Mark Parnell MLC asked questions in Parliament regarding the incomplete disclosure of submissions made in response to the proposed terms of reference. He alleged that 309 submissions had not been published, and asked why about them. Gail Gago did not respond to the specific details of Parnell's questions, but said of the commission:

"We want all South Australians to be able to explore this complex and often emotive issue, to look at the practical, financial and ethical issues raised by the prospect of greater engagement in this sector here in South Australia."

On 1 March 2015 ABC Radio National broadcast a speech by Oscar Archer, a chemist from Adelaide and editor of the pro-nuclear blog The Actinide Age. Archer responded to the announcement of the Royal Commission , beginning by expressing his concerns about the contribution of carbon emissions from other means of electricity generation on climate change. He told Ockham's Razor:

"Australia needs a new, clean economical form of power... we need a revolutionary way of doing energy. That way is IFS plus IFR- Intermediate Fuel Storage and Integral Fast Reactor. Namely the commercially offered PRISM breeder reactor from General Electric Hitachi. The concept was brought to my attention by my friend, Ben Heard."

Archer described a nuclear industrial development plan in detail, involving:

1. the establishment of a repository for spent nuclear fuel
2. the development of a fleet of integral fast reactors to demonstrate the recycling of spent fuel "for zero carbon energy"
3. funding from "international partners" who would pay for Australia's services

Archer claimed that such a scheme would be "revenue neutral at the outset" even given the worst-case scenario. He also claimed that the plan would negate the need for long-term storage on "science-fiction timescales" and would boost the rapid development of Generation III+ nuclear reactors as energy production market share shifts from coal to nuclear. The vision Archer described involves PRISM reactors supplying nuclear power in Australia, fueled by the spent nuclear fuel Australia could receive from international customers. Australia's uranium mining sector would continue to supply fuel for nuclear reactors worldwide, under a Nuclear Fuel Leasing model. Archer encouraged listeners to consider nuclear power advocate Terry Krieg's earlier efforts on ABC Radio National to address "misinformation" regarding nuclear industrial safety. Archer called for the revision of laws and regulations which prohibit the development of nuclear industries in Australia, saying "we must level the clean energy playing field." Archer claims the plan presents "a vast suite of benefits relative to the risks."

Archer's proposal attracted criticism from anti-nuclear activist and commentator Noel Wauchope, who defended Australia's nuclear development prohibitions and raised concerns about the plan's economics stating:

"These laws are not frivolous products of tree huggers – and are there for sound health and environmental reasons. The central premise of Oscar Archer's promotion of this nuclear chain of events is that Australia should go out on a limb – be the first country in the world to import nuclear wastes and to order a mass purchase of PRISM reactors... Now who is going to take that financial risk? He must mean the Australian government - because for sure no private investor is going to take that on."

"We are left with a plan that looks suspiciously as if the troubled nuclear industries of USA, Canada and UK have selected Australia as the guinea pig for a plan to reverse their industries' present decline."

Wauchope had previously analysed and written opinion editorials about nuclear industrial advocacy in South Australia, in which she had drawn attention to the efforts of a number of organisations, academics and individuals– among them Ben Heard, Barry Brook, Tom Wigley, Stefaan Simons and Pamela Sykes. Also in March, the French Ambassador to Australia Christophe Lecourtier traveled to Adelaide from Canberra to meet with Premier Jay Weatherill and discuss the French nuclear industry. The Advertiser also published an except of a letter from Areva's Senior Executive Vice President Olivier Wantz to Weatherill which read:

"Following your recent announcement to hold a royal commission to assess South Australia’s further involvement in the nuclear industry, including power production and the storage of waste, I, on behalf of the AREVA Group, would like to salute this important initiative and offer any assistance you or the Royal Commission may require.’’

Regional discussions of nuclear issues also emerged in March, sparking controversy in Whyalla and Port Augusta. Professor Stephen Lincoln from South Australian Nuclear Energy Systems discussed a draft proposal for a $7 billion uranium enrichment facility at Whyalla with the Whyalla News. Resident Jo-anne Waters expressed her objection and cynicism about the Royal Commission, another resident expressed support for solar and wind energy instead, while the Council said it would reserve its judgement until after the Commission had presented its findings. Mayor Jim Pollock expressed some personal reservations, stating:

"My first thoughts are, I don't think it's such a good idea."

Between 11 and 13 March 2015 The Advertiser interviewed 450 adult South Australians from around the state about a number of reforms the Weatherill Government was either proposing or investigating at the time. Among the questions, participants were asked if they supported nuclear industrial development in South Australia. Survey participants were allowed to select multiple options.

Do you support any of the following in South Australia?

Possible development	Percentage of interviewees
A nuclear power station	26.6
A nuclear enrichment facility	19.1
A nuclear waste dump	15.7
None of the above	68.6

Dr Timothy 'Tim' Stone's nuclear industrial advocacy

On 12 March, Visiting Professor at UCL Australia, Dr Timothy Stone, gave a presentation at an event called the SA Nuclear Energy Review. The event was hosted by the Centre for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA). The event intended to "lead discussion around what a Nuclear Energy future in South Australia could look like and provide opportunity for CEDA members to feed into the Royal Commission into Nuclear Energy." At the event, Stone claimed that nuclear energy was cheaper to generate than renewable energy, saying:

"When you work out the cost of the electricity over the life of the (nuclear) kit…it is a lot cheaper than the honest number for renewables... If you add the cost of that (production) plus the cost of intermittency support, it’s a lot more expense and this is the issue where we need to get rational conversations."

On 17 March, Stone presented at an event hosted by the South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy. He introduced himself as "kind of Chief Trouble-maker" before providing background on nuclear power in the United Kingdom and offering advice for Australia. He said:

"You only get one chance at this, this is a really important point here in South Australia. You've now kicked this process off. This is a once in a generation discussion. If it goes wrong now, it's your kids who will have it next time round. It won't slip for an election period, because people's memories for this stuff are long."

He noted that polling in the UK had showed that women are more cautious than men when considering supporting nuclear power, and said that he would like to see more women enter the industry. He told the attendees that:

"Everything you do is about creating trust and confidence. People opening their mouths and coming up with bright ideas that in any way damage that, need taking outside and dealing with... This is about national economic competitiveness. This isn't about politics. This is really big stuff."

Fellow speakers at the SACOME event were nuclear power advocates Ben Heard of ThinkClimate Consulting and Ian Hore-Lacy of the World Nuclear Association. On 19 March, the Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission were announced, and the Commission officially commenced. In Parliament, Premier Jay Weatherill said of the occasion:

"Today is a significant moment in our state's history. The royal commission will provide a thorough investigation of the nuclear fuel cycle and its feasibility in South Australia. This is an opportunity for our state to maturely and rationally consider economic opportunities that have the power to shape our future."

On 20 March, Dr Timothy Stone gave a presentation at the Energy State of the Nation forum held by the Energy Policy Institute of Australia in Sydney. His presentation was entitled Challenges for future energy regulation and covered three topics: "Structural changes in energy markets, technological changes including nuclear technology and regulatory responses and accountability including implications for the SA Nuclear Royal Commission." Stone had also presented at the event in 2012, where he explained "the need to delineate an Australia 2030 Energy Sector Balance Sheet as a framework for formulating a national capital mobilisation plan to overcome a looming capital shortage."

Expert Advisory Committee announced

Stone's membership of the Royal Commission's Expert Advisory Panel was announced on 17 April, along with four other people: Barry Brook, Leanna Read, John Carlson and Ian Lowe. Three of the appointees to the Expert Advisory Committee were current or previous employees of, or have been external consultants to, the Government of South Australia. The Committee includes three known supporters of the nuclear industry- academic and scientist Barry Brook, non-executive director of Horizon Nuclear Power Timothy Stone and former Director General of Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) John Carlson.

In 2013, Carlson wrote of the possibility of establishing a multilateral uranium enrichment centre in regional Australia:

"One could imagine a future enrichment centre in Australia, based on URENCO or Tenex centrifuge technology supplied on a black box basis. In addition to the technology holder, there would be participation by regional countries with nuclear power programs— Japan, Republic of Korea and China, and looking ahead, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The IAEA might also be involved in an oversight role (in addition to safeguards)."

Professor Ian Lowe

Ian Lowe is the only publicly known opponent of the nuclear industry on the Expert Advisory Committee, with the remaining position held by South Australia's Chief Scientist, Leanna Read.

Expert Advisor	Current Position	SA Government associations	Other relevant associations
Barry Brook	Professor of Environmental Sustainability, University of Tasmania	Former Sir Hubert Wilkins Chair of Climate Change, former member of Premier's Climate Change Council, Premier's Science and Research Council	Former Director of Climate Science at the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide
Ian Lowe	Emeritus Professor (Science), Griffith University		Former President, Australian Conservation Foundation
John Carlson	Non-resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy		Former Director General of Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) 1989-2010
Leanna Read	Chief Scientist, Government of South Australia	Member of SA Economic Development Board	Fellow of ATSE
Timothy Stone	Non-executive director of Horizon Nuclear Power and University College London	Former independent advisor to Deputy Premier Kevin Foley on infrastructure projects	Former Expert Chair of the Office for Nuclear Development, Department of Energy and Climate Change, United Kingdom

Community consultation begins

The Commission held its first community consultation session in Mount Gambier on 20 April 2015 and held subsequent sessions in ten other South Australian locations, including regional towns, remote communities and the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. In response to community speculation that decisions had already been made about South Australia expanding its role in the nuclear fuel cycle, Commissioner Scarce told The Advertiser:

"I think a lot of people are assuming that this is an outcome that’s already predetermined — it’s not... I don’t know and I’m gathering the data to present a report that will reflect the data and the advice that we’ve gathered over the year. Then the government and political process starts."

Issues papers

At a public community consultation session held at the Mawson Lakes campus of the University of South Australia, Commissioner Scarce confirmed four issues papers had been written by the Technical Research Team and were then vetted by the Expert Advisory Committee prior to publication. The first of the four issues papers had been released on April 17, with the announcement of the Expert Advisory Committee's membership. By May 2015, a complete set of four issues papers had been published and closing dates for formal public submissions had been set for 24 July and 3 August 2015.

The papers' titles were:

1. Exploration, Extraction and Milling
2. Further Processing of Minerals and Manufacture of Materials Containing Radioactive and Nuclear Substances
3. Electricity Generation from Nuclear Fuels
4. Management, Storage and Disposal of Waste of Nuclear and Radioactive Wastes

Public Forums

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission public forum, Bonython Hall, University of Adelaide, 22 May 2015

Public forums were held around South Australia and were hosted by Commissioner Scarce. The first round of these events were supported by Chief of Staff Greg Ward, Senior Communications Officer Adam Smith and Legal counsel, Chad Jacobi. All sessions took place on weekdays and all but two commenced during business hours. Attendance varied from few to dozens of people per session. The largest crowd attended the Bonython Hall session (approximately 300 people).

Date	Day	Time	Place	Location
20/04/15	Monday	12:00:00	Mount Gambier	City Hall
30/04/15	Thursday	17:30:00	Port Augusta	Institute Theatre
01/05/15	Friday	12:00:00	Port Pirie	Port Pirie Regional Council Chambers
05/05/15	Tuesday	12:00:00	Berri	Berri Town Hall
11/05/15	Monday	11:00:00	Yalata	Yalata Social Club
12/05/15	Tuesday	10:30:00	Oak Valley	Oak Valley Training Centre
13/05/15	Wednesday	11:00:00	Umuwa	Umuwa Training Centre
14/05/15	Thursday	10:30:00	Coober Pedy	Italo Australian Miners Club
18/05/15	Monday	12:00:00	Leigh Creek	Leigh Creek Tavern
19/05/15	Tuesday	17:30:00	University of South Australia	Mawson Lakes Centre (MC1-02)
20/05/15	Wednesday	17:00:00	Flinders University	Flinders at Tonsley – Lecture Theatre 1, South Road, Clovelly Park
22/05/15	Friday	13:00:00	Adelaide University	Bonython Hall

A second round of community consultation sessions commenced in late June 2015. These contained a combination of return visits, and visits to new locations. Sessions marked with an asterix will occur while the Commissioner is undertaking international visits to the USA and Canada. Jon Bok and solicitor Bonnie Russell were present at the Ceduna event on 7 July. Only 3 people attended the session held in Port Lincoln on 6 July.

Date	Day	Time	Location	Place
23/06/15	Tuesday	17:00:00	Coober Pedy	Italo Australian Miners Club
02/07/15	Thursday	unknown	Oak Valley	Oak Valley Village
03/07/15	Friday	11:00:00	Ceduna	Ceduna Foreshore Hotel
06/07/15	Monday	17:30:00	Port Lincoln	Nautilus Arts Centre
13/07/15	Monday	12:00:00	Marion (Adelaide southern suburbs)*	Marion Cultural Centre*
14/07/15	Tuesday	17:30:00	Port Augusta*	Institute Theatre*
15/07/15	Wednesday	17:30:00	Whyalla*	Whyalla Library*
16/07/15	Thursday	17:30:00	Port Pirie*	Port Pirie Council Chambers*
17/07/15	Friday	12:00:00	Salisbury (Adelaide northern suburbs)*	Ken McMahon Hall, 17-19 Wiltshire Street, Salisbury*
20/07/15	Monday	11:00:00	Ernabella	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yakunytjattjara (APY) lands
21/07/15	Tuesday	11:00:00	Fregon	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yakunytjattjara (APY) lands
27/07/15	Wednesday	11:00:00	Mimili	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yakunytjattjara (APY) lands
28/07/15	Thursday	11:00:00	Indulkana	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yakunytjattjara (APY) lands
29/07/15	Wednesday	11:00:00	Yalata	TBC
30/07/15	Thursday	18:00:00	Ceduna	Ceduna Memorial Hall
04/08/15	Tuesday	11:00:00	Amata
05/08/15	Wednesday	11:00:00	Kanpi
06/08/15	Thursday	11:00:00	Pipalyatjara

Responses

Appointment of the Commissioner

Following his appointment, Commissioner Scarce was accused of having previously demonstrated a pro-nuclear bias- a claim which he immediately denied. Scarce has no legal training or background, making his appointment to the leading role in a Royal Commission highly unusual. For example, another South Australian Royal Commission running concurrently into Child Protection Systems (2014), the Kapunda Road Royal Commission (2005) and the Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission (1995) all appointed retired or practising legal professionals as Commissioners..

Submission process

Aboriginal woman Karina Lester and Chief Executive Craig Wilkins of the Conservation Council of South Australia raised concerns that the submission process was unnecessarily complicated. Written submissions were required to be signed by a Justice of the Peace, and Lester and Wilkins argued that this would be particularly difficult for members of regional and remote communities. Lester also pointed out that the language of the Commission's presentations and issues papers made them difficult for aboriginal people to comprehend. Lester drew attention to her father, Yami Lester, who lost his sight after exposure to radioactive fallout from British nuclear weapons tests at Maralinga and Emu Field in the 1950s and 1960s. She told the ABC:

"My father (lives) 27 kilometres west form Marla Bore, (he) doesn't drive, wouldn't have a JP on hand, and would probably need to travel down to Coober Pedy... but he certainly has a story to tell and certainly would love to have input into the Royal Commission."

The Royal Commission responded by agreeing to accept oral submissions in addition to formal written submissions. In July 2015, anti-nuclear commentator Noel Wauchope drew attention to the labor-intensive and technically complex process required for citizens to make and register a written submission. She wrote:

"Many ordinary people, who are worried about the prospect of the entire nuclear fuel chain being established in South Australia will be sufficiently intimidated by the whole process anyway — never mind the graphs, or even the written content. Perhaps that was the Royal Commission's intention?"

Supporters

Nuclear power advocates Barry Brook and Ben Heard supported the announcement stating that the debate about nuclear power in Australia has "remained open to distortions, fabrications and fearmongering. Fortunately, such tactics will not withstand the scrutiny of a Royal Commission. As scientists, academics and evidence-based activists, concerned with facts and objective judgement, we welcome this process."

The Office of the Agent General for South Australia, which is managed by the Government of South Australia's Department of the Premier and Cabinet republished an article by Brook and Heard from The Conversation on their website. The article, entitled Nuclear industry can open a world of possibilities, describes the potential benefits of nuclear industrial expansion in South Australia.

Brook was appointed to the Royal Commission's Expert Advisory Committee and announced on 17 April 2015.

The Minerals Council of Australia's uranium portfolio spokesperson, Daniel Zavattiero, expressed support for the Royal Commission on behalf of the industry body. He told attendees of the 2015 AusIMM International Uranium Conference that "the announcement of a Royal Commission here in South Australia into Nuclear Fuel Cycle potential has turbo-charged interest in the uranium and nuclear industries, not just here in South Australia but throughout Australia." As of 2015, the MCA's Board of Directors includes representatives of three established uranium mining companies (BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto Group and Paladin Energy) and the prospective uranium miner, Toro Energy.

Terry Krieg, a spokesperson for the Australian Nuclear Association said in March that he was preparing a submission to the Commission, and that he hoped that Eyre Peninsula would embrace nuclear industrial development. One of the possibile developments he suggested was a nuclear-powered seawater desalination plant at Ceduna, powered by uranium from Olympic Dam.

The London-based World Nuclear Association expressed support for the future deployment of nuclear power in Australia and also welcomed the announcement of the Commission, stating:

"[Australia] currently makes no use of nuclear energy to generate electricity, with a law in place prohibiting this. The Royal Commission presents the chance to dispense with this fundamentally outdated and unscientific policy forever."

Senator Sean Edwards responded to the announcement of the Royal Commission by claiming that nuclear industrial development could potentially attract tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment to South Australia. He claimed that the storage of spent nuclear fuel and its processing via fast breeder reactors could effectively create a "special economic zone" with spin-off effects including the potential abolition of $4.4 billion in state taxes and the provision of "free power to SA households". He criticized the anti-nuclear position of the Australian Greens, remarking that "in political battles, the smallest fringe-dwelling minority can make the loudest and most unrepresentative noise, and the Greens are good at that." He later revealed to a Sydney Institute audience that he had been scrutinising a business case for the storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for two years.

Nuclear industrial interests within Australia also welcomed the announcement of the Commission, including Bruce Hundertmark's venture South Australian Nuclear Energy Systems (SANES), the established laser enrichment and technology company SILEX Systems and small modular reactor start-up, SMR Nuclear Technology (under technical directorship of Tony Irwin). French state-owned nuclear industrial company Areva has also demonstrated their eagerness to support the commission.

In June 2015 Vanessa Guthrie from Toro Energy and Mark Chalmers from the Australian Uranium Council voiced their support for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission.

The Australian Financial Review has demonstrated support for the Royal Commission and has written disparagingly of anti-nuclear voices. An editorial piece on 11 July 2015 made assumptions about South Australian support for nuclear industrial development, stating:

"In fact, proceedings to date suggest genuine support of the process by South Australians more interested in jobs and progress than the rabid but loud anti-nuclearites. South Australians want growth and know that subsidised defence industries in the gift of the federal government cannot be banked on."

Opposition

Following the announcement of the Royal Commission, Ian Lowe from Griffith University (and previous President of the Australian Conservation Foundation) drew attention to Australia's many previous public inquiries and proposals for nuclear industrialisation. In an article entitled We've already had the nuclear debate: why do it again? Lowe referred to the 2006 UMPNER review's finding that substantial government subsidies would be required to support nuclear industrial development in Australia, and the earlier Fox Report (1976-1978), which drew attention to the problems of nuclear weapons proliferation and the nuclear waste generated by uranium mining and processing. Lowe's closing statement read:

"Any objective assessment of the state’s (energy) needs in the context of a commitment to sustainable development will favour going forward by expanding the proven capacity of clean renewables, rather than gambling on unproven nuclear fantasies."

On 17 April 2015, Lowe was announced as one of five members (and the only one holding an openly anti-nuclear position) of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission Expert Advisory Committee. In March, Whyalla resident Jo-anne Waters expressed her disapproval of the Royal Commission's intentions to the Whyalla News, stating:

"It used to be Royal Commissions were held to investigate things that were done wrong, now they're using them to justify doing the wrong thing... It makes me feel sick because it's like they're putting us in a position where we have to take this or there won't be any jobs. They'll sell us out."

Mark Parnell MLC

Further opposition to the expansion of nuclear industries in South Australia has been expressed by environmental and aboriginal activists and organisations since the Commission's announcement. Opponents include: Conservation SA, Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW), Friends of the Earth, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Australian Greens. Spokespeople for these organisations have included Craig Wilkins, Margaret "Margie" Beavis, Jim Green, Dave Sweeney and Mark Parnell respectively.

Dave Sweeney, Jim Green and Peter Burdon have speculated that the commission is likely to focus on the establishment of a nuclear waste repository in South Australia, most likely on aboriginal land. A previous proposal was rejected by the Rann government after extensive aboriginal, green and community opposition.

Renewable energy advocate Matthew Wright accused the Royal Commission of demonstrating a pro-nuclear bias in order to promote the interests of uranium exploration and mining companies and their shareholders. Wright has criticised the protracted construction times and cost overruns associated with the new nuclear power plant builds, and has encouraged investors to divest from nuclear industries and invest in clean-tech projects instead. He wrote in Climate Spectator:

"If you’re hearing another one of these countless stories such as those being hawked at the pro-nuclear Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission being held in South Australia, just remember there are people who want their uranium penny stocks to take them from rags to riches or riches to even more riches that are creating most of the hype."

Dr Helen Caldicott

Long-term anti-nuclear advocate, physician and author Dr Helen Caldicott observed that UCL Australia and its staff had had "a profound impact on the nuclear debate in South Australia." She noted the appointment of Horizon Nuclear Power board member Tim Stone to the Royal Commission's Expert Advisory Panel, Stefaan Simons' advocacy for nuclear submarines and the reintroduction of James Voss to Australia, following his prior attempt to establish a nuclear waste dump in Australia in the 1990s (as then Managing Director of Pangea Resources). She also describes academic Barry Brook as having "vigorously promoted the whole nuclear fuel chain" from his position at the University of Adelaide. She challenged the environmental case put by Brook and others in support of nuclear power as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, writing:

"This ignores the huge expulsion of greenhouse gas that goes into producing nuclear power. The massive industrial process supporting a nuclear power plant is complex and energy intensive. It involves mining millions of tonnes of soil and ore. The uranium must then be separated, milled, enriched and converted into ceramic particles to be packed into zirconium fuel rods. Construction of the huge reactor complex adds substantially to global warming as it is largely made of concrete – a CO2-intensive product."

She also criticised the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission for not appointing a medical doctor to the Expert Advisory Committee, stating:

"This is a carcinogenic industry that must be halted immediately in the name of public health. The people advocating a nuclear South Australia have no comprehension of genetics, radiation biology, oncology and medicine. Or they are willing to ignore the risks."

International visits

The Commission toured internationally during May and June 2015 with objectives of gather evidence and meeting relevant experts. A delegation of three had planned to travel to the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Other destinations included the United Kingdom, France, Taiwan and Finland where visits to nuclear facilities took place, and to Vienna, Austria where the Commission met with the industry's international regulator, the IAEA at its headquarters. Commissioner Scarce said that the visits "assisted the commission's understanding of the challenges, successes and lessons learnt by countries active in the nuclear fuel cycle" and "increased the commission's understanding of current technology and advancements in nuclear energy and highlighted both good and bad practices."

On 25 June, Scarce told radio station 5AA that further processing of uranium, nuclear power generation and waste storage were all "on the table at the moment." He said that he had seen nuclear industries and food production coexisting in Japan, France and Finland, and wasn't concerned about the prospect of new developments adversely impacting the state's clean, green food production image. He acknowledged that the Commission was now investigating the economics of further fuel cycle involvement, stating:

"The one thing that we haven't proved yet is the economic case for any of this, and that's part of the work that we're getting on with now."

Scarce also announced that further international visits would be made by the Royal Commission to the USA and to Canada. American destinations are said to include Washington DC and Pennsylvania. During an interview on ABC 891 on 29 June 2015, Ian Henschke asked Scarce "are you also trying to get a sense of what the public wants?" to which Scarce replied:

"Not really. My role is to develop the Terms of Reference that I’ve got. Of course, along the way we are trying to put out the information that we’ve received."

At the time of his interview, the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission's online Information Library had made no information from the Commission's investigations available to the public. The website read:

"When the information library commences all information will be available and organised in the structure of the Terms of Reference. Additional information will be progressively added to the information library during the course of the Commission’s investigations. An initial list of relevant information is currently being prepared and it is anticipated the information library will be announced in the coming weeks."

Round 1 - Asia and Europe

Limited information regarding the Commission's international visits was released in stages on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission's website. Items stricken out in the table below were planned but did not eventuate.

Date	Country	Appointments	Attendees	Date disclosed
25 May 2015	Australia	Departed Australia for Taiwan	Unknown	1 June 2015
26 May 2015	Taiwan	Made Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) site visit Met with Atomic Energy Council (AEC)	Unknown	27 May 2015
27 May 2015	Japan	Met representatives from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority Met representatives from the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum Inc. Met representatives from the Citizens’ Commission on Nuclear Energy (CCNE) and Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center (CNIC) Met with Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated (TEPCO) representatives Toured Hitachi Rinkai Works for Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) equipment	Unknown	27 May 2015
28 May 2015	Japan	Visited Oarai and Tokai Research & Development Centers with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Met with Nuclear Free Mayor (former Mayor of Tokai Village)	Kevin Scarce, Greg Ward, Chad Jacobi, others unknown	27 May 2015
29 May 2015	Japan	Visited site of Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant and surrounding exclusion zone Departed Japan	Unknown	30 May 2015
30 May 2015	Finland	Arrived in Finland	Unknown	1 June 2015
31 May 2015		Rest day	Unknown	1 June 2015
1 June 2015	Finland	Visited Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant project site Toured Onkalo nuclear waste repository Visited the Electricity from Uranium scientific exhibition	Unknown	1 June 2015
2 June 2015	Finland	Met with the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE) Met with the Chairman of FinNuclear Met with the Director of the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) Departed Helsinki for Vienna, Austria	Unknown	2 June 2015
3 June 2015	Austria	Met with members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna Met with United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), Vienna	Unknown	3 June 2015
4 June 2015	France	Visited AREVA in Tricastin Toured AREVA’s conversion plant and Georges Besse II operating uranium enrichment plant Visited AREVA Melox Toured AREVA’s operating mixed oxide fuel fabrication plant	Unknown	5 June 2015
5 June 2015	France	Visited AREVA in La Hague Visited EDF Energy, Flamanville	Unknown	5 June 2015
6 June 2015			Unknown
7 June 2015			Unknown
8 June 2015	France	Met with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and discussed economic modelling and "its role in the forum on stakeholder confidence." Met with AREVA to discuss "future nuclear energy demand, barriers to investment in the nuclear fuel cycle and the economics of investment." Discussed nuclear legislative framework, status of nuclear waste disposal and "information transparency initiatives" with representatives from Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), French national radioactive waste management agency (ANDRA), French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)	Unknown	10 June 2015
9 June 2015	United Kingdom	Met with World Nuclear Association Met with Nuclear Industry Association Met with Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Met with Department for Business Innovation and Skills	Unknown	10 June 2015
10 June 2015	United Kingdom	Met with Prof Robin Grimes, FCO Chief Scientific Advisor.* Met with Nuclear Risk Insurers, London Met with E3G Met with Mark Higson* Met with Prof Gordon Mackerron*	Unknown	10 June 2015 *Grimes, Higson and Mackerron's names were deleted from the NFCRC website on 11 June 2015.
11 June 2015	United Kingdom	Met with Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield, and discussed "transportation of nuclear materials within the UK and insurance held by nuclear sites and arrangements for nuclear operators." Met to discuss geological waste disposal in the United Kingdom and Canada	Unknown	14 June 2015
12 June 2015	United Kingdom	Visited Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Toured facilities at Sellafield site, THORP storage facilities, packaged storage facilities and waste processing (WEP plant) Toured LLW Repository Ltd, Sellafield including low-level waste loading, packaging and storage bunkers Met with CORE, Cumbria to discuss the history of spent fuel reprocessing at Sellafield, environmental and social impacts and proposals to construct a geological waste disposal facility in the UK	Unknown	14 June 2015

Round 2 - USA & Canada

The Commissioner and an unknown travelling party departed on a second round of international visits on 8 July 2015, to destinations in the USA and Canada. This round of visits is scheduled to conclude on 17 July 2015.

Date	Country	City/State	Appointments	Attendees	Date disclosed
8 July 2015	Australia	Adelaide, South Australia	Departed for USA	Unknown
9 July 2015	United States of America	Washington D.C.	Met with Electric Power Research Institute to discuss smart grids, future energy mix, grid reliability, carbon cost and carbon sequestration Met with General Electric for presentations on current and future reactor technology and the process of uranium enrichment Met with Kim Beazley, Australian Ambassador to the United States and discussed US energy policy development Met with the Nuclear Energy Institute and discussed US nuclear industry, spent fuel storage and the challenge of financing nuclear reactor design and construction Met with the Union of Concerned Scientists to discuss nuclear safety	Unknown	9 July 2015
10 July 2015	United States of America	Washington, D.C.	Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Presentation of safety regulations related to licensing, construction and operation of the current and future reactors, intermediate waste storage and disposal, and mix and expertise of staff needed within the Commission Department of Energy - Discussed national energy policy development and implementation with emphasis on energy mix, new generation reactor research studies, reactor license extension and financial incentives to support new investment National Security Council - Discussed US policy on nuclear proliferation, particularly pertaining to enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, and the global need for safe storage or disposal options Public Citizen - Discussed climate change policy, new generation reactors, storage and alternative energy sources Bechtel - discussed nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure construction challenges	Unknown	11 July 2015
11 July 2015	United States of America	Washington, D.C.	Met with Professor Frank von Hippel, Senior Research Physicist at Princeton University and discussed concerns with reprocessing and enrichment of nuclear fuels, siting of spent fuel ponds within reactor buildings, waste management and spent fuel disposal. Also received overview of modern reactor technology and prospects for commercialisation.	Unknown	12 July 2015
12 July 2015	United States of America	Pennsylvania	Toured Holtec International's nuclear fuel dry cask storage production facility. Discussed local and overseas programs plus supply chain requirements for cask components. Visited Westinghouse Headquarters, Cranberry. Discussed nuclear build market and current construction programs, outlook for small modular reactors and a description of major fuel cycle capabilities and programs.	Unknown	13 July 2015

Investigations

Energy generation

The Commission stated that it would investigate the feasibility of small modular reactors, fast neutron reactors and the possibility of thorium-fueled reactors as part of it inquiry into nuclear energy generation. Following his first wave of European and Asian visits, Kevin Scarce told the media that he had been surprised at the scale and frequency of cost-overruns in nuclear reactor construction projects around the world.

GE Hitachi PRISM reactor

In 2014, KPMG identified potential future markets for small modular reactors, stating:

"Three particular global sub-markets for SMRs are promising in the short to medium term: desalinization and industrial process heat applications (e.g., for oil sand processing), remote population concentrations (as is common throughout Oceania) without easy access to cheap natural gas, and replacement of retiring fossil-fired power plants in some countries."

Nuclear engineer Tony Irwin wrote in 2011 that "possible uses for SMRs in Australia include powering Australian Defence Force sites, remote mining locations, large industrial sites requiring reliable, competitive cost electricity or process heat supplies, desalination plants, water treatment plants, recycling schemes or irrigation systems and baseload electricity supply for small grid systems." He added that along with legislative and regulatory changes, future SMR deployment in Australia would require the "commitment of an electricity generation company, mining company or other organisation to a SMR program." It would also require the availability of a low-level radioactive waste facility in Australia. In April 2015, the Federal government discussed nuclear power in its Energy White Paper. It said of the Royal Commission and the prospect of nuclear power in Australia:

"The Australian Government will consider the outcomes of the South Australian Royal Commission into its future involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle including the mining, enrichment, energy and storage phases for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The Royal Commission will allow for a considered and informed community discussion on nuclear industries and energy, examining the opportunities and the risks."

The White Paper also articulated the Federal government's commitments to "monitor international developments on nuclear energy" and "continue to work with the states and territories on improving the regulation of nuclear industries. Improvements include responding to technical developments and the streamlining and removal of any unnecessary regulation." The paper also announced several "technology neutral" funding initiatives including a commitment of $484.2 million to an Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme. The program is designed to "provide Australian companies with structural and strategic support to capitalise on growth opportunities." In June 2015, a fire at a coal-fired power plant near Port Augusta was followed by news that Alinta Energy would close its two plants there, Playford B and Northern, permanently, no later than March 2018. Renewable energy researcher Mark Diesendorf responded by proposing that South Australia could run on "scaled-up, commercially available, renewable energy sources" within a period of 15–25 years. He wrote of his research:

"Our modelling at University of New South Wales shows that the SA system could be supplied mainly by a mix of wind power; solar photo-voltaic panels, both on rooftops and in large solar farms; and concentrated solar thermal (CST) power with thermal storage. Gas-fired turbines and demand management via "smart" meters and switches would manage the infrequent small lulls in wind and solar supply."

He added that during the transition period, fossil fuels currently used to drive gas turbines (which he only expected to run during occasional "lulls" in wind power) would be replaced with biofuels produced from biomass, making the system 100% renewable. Diesendorf compares his proposition to one which invests in nuclear power, stating:

"An appropriate mix of renewable energy sources is just as reliable, less dangerous, cheaper, emits less carbon dioxide overall, offers a wider range of environmental, health and employment benefits, can be implemented much more rapidly, and is more likely to enjoy community support."

Fuel production and reprocessing

The Commission visited AREVA's facilties in France, where they learned about the production of nuclear fuel. After returning from his first wave of international visits, Scarce told Ian Henschke of the ABC about the process:

"It is complex, but we saw nothing that was beyond the industrial capability of our State. We’d certainly need help. They’re big plants, but nothing complex enough that we couldn’t manage. Of course, we haven’t thought about the business case for that yet."

Nuclear waste

A small shipment of nuclear waste is expected to be returned to Australia from France by ship during 2015. The consignment originated from ANSTO at Lucas Heights, and was sent to France for reprocessing. The quantity of waste returned is expected to fill one third of a shipping container. Transport of this waste or its storage within South Australia is currently prohibited by law. The Commission investigated nuclear waste storage regimes and facilities during their international visits to Finland and Taiwan in May and June. In Finland the Commissioner visited Olkiluoto, and later described the visit to the ABC, saying:

"They burrowed down about 500 metres, where they’re planning to store spent nuclear fuel. They’re using quite sophisticated technology to store the individual fuel rods. In that sort of setting with the geology, obviously it has to be very stable, and no water through it. They believe that it can be very safely stored for thousands of years."

Independence of inquiry

On its website, the NFCRC purports to be independent from government yet it remains linked to the Government of South Australia and the Commonwealth Government via funding and personnel.

Funding

At the first of three Adelaide sessions on 19 May, Scarce told the audience that the commission had no fixed budget, and that he hoped that it would remain in the "single tens" of millions. He said that the budget would be disclosed after negotiating it with the government– a task yet to be undertaken at that time. The 2015-16 State Budget revealed that $6 million had been allocated over 2 years to cover the operating costs of the Royal Commission. The Commission's budget is administered by the Attorney-General's Department as per the table below.

Item	2015-16 Budget	2014-15 Estimated Result
Employee payment benefits	$1,830,000	$1,000,000
Payments for supplies and services	$1,170,000	$2,000,000

The Budget Measures Statement noted that "a contribution to the additional costs associated with the operating expenditure for the Royal Commission is being sought from the Commonwealth Government."

Personnel

Scarce is a former Governor of South Australia (2007-2014), and was previously a career-long serviceman for the Royal Australian Navy. After the final community forum in Adelaide, a list of eleven members of the Royal Commission's staff and their potential pecuniary interests was published on the NFCRC's website. It revealed that the Commission's entire legal team of three persons had been employed by the Crown Solicitor's Office of the Attorney General's Department immediately prior to their appointment to the Commission. The Commission's Chief of Staff, Greg Ward, previously worked for Defence SA, following a career in the Royal Australian Navy. Both Scarce and Ward were involved with the state's Air Warfare Destroyer naval shipbuilding project. Expert Advisory Committee members Barry Brook, Tim Stone and Leanna Read have all worked for the South Australian government. John Carlson is a former Federal government bureaucrat. The Commission's Senior Communications Officer is a former Federal Agent for the Australian Federal Police.

Freedom of Information

In South Australia, all Royal Commissions are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act 1991.

Disclosure of pecuniary interests

In May 2015, a partial list of names of staff and their potentially relevant pecuniary interests was published on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission's website. A number of the listed persons have links to the nuclear industry, its regulators, government agencies or representative bodies.

Commissioner & Senior Staff

The list revealed that Commissioner Kevin Scarce is a shareholder in Rio Tinto Group – the owner and operator of Ranger and Rossing uranium mines in Australia and Namibia respectively and the owner of the Roughrider uranium prospect in Canada. Rio Tinto also funds waste management research at the Imperial College London, including the "Development of Novel Glass-Ceramics from Problematic UK Wastes using Borates and Borate Containing Wastes."

The Commissioner and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission's Chief of Staff, Greg Ward, share backgrounds in defence. Both men have served in the Royal Australian Navy and were involved with South Australia's Air Warfare Destroyer project. The project has been criticized by the Abbott Government for running two to three years behind schedule and $1.2 billion over budget. The Commissioner played a leading role in securing the contract to build the three ships in South Australia, and Ward is a former Director of the project for the Port Adelaide Maritime Corporation. Ward is also the director of two companies: Prism Defence (for which he is also CEO) and Protegic. The latter is a project management service provider with clients including the Rio Tinto Group, BHP Billiton and Endeavour Energy.

The Commission's Senior Communications Officer, Adam Smith, was previously employed as a Federal Agent for the Australian Federal Police.

Legal Team

All three named members of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission's legal team worked for the Crown Solicitor's Office, Attorney General's Department, Government of South Australia immediately prior to their appointment. Membership includes: Chad Jacobi (Counsel), Lucinda Byers (Solicitor Assisting) and Wesley Taylor (Solicitor).

Technical Research Team

Four of the five members of the research team named on the NFCRC website have known prior or current associations with nuclear industrial entities.

File:BHP Billiton.svg

• Technical Research Team Leader, Julian Kelly, is a shareholder in three companies engaged in uranium mining: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto Group and Paladin Energy. Kelly's immediate employer prior to his appointment to the Commission was the Norwegian company, Thor Energy. Thor Energy is currently experimenting with thorium-fueled nuclear reactor development. Kelly also works as a consultant under the name Xenatom Consult, Singapore. Kelly has also worked for Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and as chief technical liaison between the IAEA and Australia.

• Technical Research Officer (Engineering and Public Policy), Rebecca Stohr, was previously employed as a temporary research associate with Argonne National Laboratory (USA). She is a member of the Energy Institute (UK), an energy industry professional body. Her area of expertise is radioactive waste storage.

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• Technical Research Officer (Nuclear Science), Massey de los Reyes, is a former Research Fellow at ANSTO. She is a member of Women in Nuclear (WiN Global), the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and the Australian Nuclear Association (ANA).

• Technical Research Officer (Energy Systems and Economic Analysis), Ashok Kaniyal, was previously employed as an Environmental Engineer at CRC Care Pty Ltd. CRC Care's services include the assessment, clean up and prevention of land, air and water contamination and its commercial partners include uranium mining companies BHP Billiton and the Rio Tinto Group. Kaniyal holds shares in Newcrest Mining, a gold mining company responsible for the pollution of waters in Papua New Guinea and Ghana.

Related events

UCL and UniSA to partner in Future Industries institute

On 27 April 2015, the University College London signed a partnership agreement with the University of South Australia to develop teaching and research capacity across science and engineering fields, including minerals processing, advanced manufacturing, "sustainable future energy production" and "protection and care of the environment." A new Future Industries Institute (FII) is to be established at UniSA to which the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences will provide support and collaboration. Six five-year Foundation Research Fellows are to be recruited to the FII, funded by UCL. UniSA will support an additional twelve Foundation Fellows- at least half of which will support "outstanding women researchers at early and mid-career levels." The new Director of the FII will hold an honorary professorship at UCL and senior UniSA researcher, Professor Magnus Nyden (formerly of the Ian Wark Research Institute) will take on a seconded role as the Head of Department for UCL Australia. UCL Australia will cease to have a stand-alone presence in South Australia in 2017.

Daniel Zavattiero, Minerals Council of Australia at CARECRC forum, Adelaide (2015)

Adelaide hosts nuclear and uranium industry events

The AusIMM held their International Uranium Conference in Adelaide, 9–10 June 2015. Premier Jay Weatherill and Minister Ian Macfarlane were among the keynote speakers. The event was sponsored by Areva and the Government of South Australia was a major partner of the event. The inaugural event had been held in Adelaide in 2006, with South Australia hosting the event again in 2008, 2010 and 2012.

A National Workshop on Nuclear Energy for Australia was held in Adelaide on June 16, presented by CRC CARE. The event included presentations of cases for and against nuclear industrial development in Australia, before focusing on risk and waste management. Among the speakers were: Ben Heard and Daniel Zavattiero (for) and Tilman Ruff, Gavin Mudd and Mark Diesendorf (against). The Royal Commissioner and several members of the Royal Commission's staff were in attendance.

External links

• Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission