Wednesday, 6 March 2024

Members statements

Nuclear energy

Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (09:39): When you talk to Victorians, they do not want nuclear reactors near their homes, but bizarrely the Liberal Party want to deploy small modular nuclear reactors right across Victoria. They have not discussed this with the Victorian people; they have just come out and announced that the first towns they want nuclear reactors in are Anglesea and Morwell. The Liberals ignore the fact that in Victoria we are already generating 40 per cent of our electricity from renewables and that we are well on track to deliver our plan to have 95 per cent of our electricity come from renewables in just 11 years. They ignore the fact that nuclear energy is the most expensive form of energy on the market and that we would have to pay to deal with the nuclear waste for tens of thousands of years. They want to build the reactors anyway. The thing about small modular nuclear reactors is you need lots of them, so which towns and suburbs are next? Last week the Liberals would not even rule out building one by the bay, surrounded by over a million people in Frankston. So, Victorians, before the Liberals pick your community for a nuclear reactor, let them know your home is off limits.