By Pip Hinman
The March 15 announcement by the minister for resources, Senator Warwick Parer, that Australia would be "delighted" to sell uranium to Indonesia for its planned nuclear power stations, is an indication of just how quickly the Howard government plans to implement its open slather uranium mining policy.
On March 16, the owner of the Ranger mine in the Northern Territory, Energy Resources of Australia, announced that it would start production at Jabiluka, known as North Ranger 2, located in the Kakadu National Park, in 1997. This deposit, which according to industry sources is one of the world's largest high-grade uranium deposits, was discovered in 1971 by Pancontinental Mining. Mining was all set to go ahead but was halted when the Labor Party took government in 1983. Back then, Labor's no mines policy (adopted in 1977) won it much electoral support.
Those mines which look set to be exploited under the Coalition government — Ranger 2 and Koongarra in the World Heritage Kakadu region of the Northern Territory, Beverley and Honeymoon to the east of Lake Eyre in South Australia, and Kintyre at Rudall River and Yeelirrie in Western Australia — were all discovered in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
During the Labor government, not all development was halted at these sites. Many feasibility studies were undertaken during the 1980s, in part to exert pressure on the federal Labor government to change its uranium policy.
Labor's decision in 1983 to junk its opposition to uranium mining in favour of a three-mines policy prompted an exodus from Labor to the Nuclear Disarmament Party. When Bob Hawke, in the August 1986 budget, authorised the sale of uranium to France — despite its refusal to stop nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific — more disillusioned people left the party.
Since then, Labor's pro-uranium wing has pushed to overturn the three mines policy at every party conference. Each time, there was enough public opposition and threat of electoral backlash to defeat this step.
Low uranium prices during the 1980s would also have had some impact on Labor's moves. Now that spot prices have begun to creep up (from US$10/lb last July to US$15.75 this month) both government and industry will be claiming that mining is necessary to improve "our" balance of payments. However, US and Canadian uranium mines, which are operating at only 30-50% capacity and which can come into production a lot more quickly than any of the proposed Australian mines, are better positioned to take advantage of any new market openings.
One possible exception is Taiwan, whose ability to buy on world markets is hampered by lack of international recognition and governments' concerns not to annoy China.
Another possible exception is a market close to Australia — Indonesia. At least this is what the Coalition (and its predecessor) are hoping. While the Suharto government has yet to make an official statement on whether it will proceed with the first of the proposed nuclear power plants at Mt Muria in central Java, it is known to be eager to do so.
Parer was quoted in the March 16-17 Australian as saying that it would be "patronising" for Australia to warn Indonesia of the dangers of setting up nuclear power plants. "It is up to Indonesia to decide how it's going to generate its electricity", he declared, ignoring the fact that the "Indonesia" which decides such matters consists of Suharto, his family and a few other officials who have become very wealthy in office.
Australian Conservation Foundation executive director Jim Downey described Parer's plan as "a recipe for disaster", pointing out that "Indonesia is one of the world's geologically most unstable countries".
"Nuclear power generation in this densely populated area on Australia's doorstep is a high risk proposition with no nuclear reactor safe from earthquakes or volcanic activity. Northern Australia could itself be subject to radioactive fallout from an accident", Downey said.
WA Greens senators Dee Margetts and Christabel Chamarette said, "Australia's participation in the Indonesian reactor program would place at risk the environment and health of Indonesians as well as Australians".
Margetts also criticised Parer for assuming that the Indonesians' promise of non-proliferation safeguards would be effective. "The head of the Australian Safeguards Office admitted it was possible that Australian uranium could have been used in French nuclear weapons tests after being sold to France under the guise of their 'peaceful' nuclear energy program."
A leading Indonesian environment group, Walhi (Indonesian Forum for the Environment), issued a warning about Australian uranium being sold to Indonesia. On March 18, Walhi called on Australian unions to block any uranium exports.
Walhi nuclear expert Mohammad Anung Karyadi said that, given the geological instability of the region, Indonesia does not have the technological expertise necessary to manage a nuclear industry — or an accident.
A March 14 joint statement signed by 11 environment groups — Arid Lands Environment Centre, ACF, Conservation Council of SA, Conservation Council of WA, Everyone for a Nuclear-Free Future, Environment Centre of the NT, Friends of the Earth Fitzroy, Friends of th Earth SA, Friends of the Earth Sydney, the Medical Association for the Prevention of Nuclear War and the Wilderness Society — warned the Howard government against opening up new uranium mines.
Last year's overwhelming opposition to the French nuclear tests and the sale of Australian uranium to France makes it very clear that the Howard government does not have a mandate to expand uranium mining. However, this obviously had not deterred the federal government. Only a united anti-uranium campaign which involves environmental and community groups, progressive political parties and unions will have the political muscle to win this fight.
During the last big anti-uranium campaign in the 1980s, the union movement in particular played an important role by refusing to load uranium shipments destined for France. Unless the union movement and its leadership are prepared to play the same fighting role this time around, the anti-uranium campaign will have limited effectiveness.
Already environment groups are making plans for a national day of action on uranium on April 26 — the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. This is good first step. There needs to be a lot more coordinated public campaigning by different sectors here and in Indonesia if we are to stop Howard's policy of profits before people and the environment.