Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unveiled long-awaited details of his pledge to build nuclear reactors in Australia, confirming that two nuclear plants would be producing electricity by the middle of next decade and built with public funding under a government-owned business model.
The Coalition revealed seven nuclear plants would be built at the sites of former coal power plants: Lithgow and the Hunter Valley in NSW, Loy Yang in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Collie in Western Australia and Port Augusta in South Australia.
“We know the government has renewables only policy which is not fit for purpose. No other country in the world can keep the lights on 24/7 with the renewables-only policy,” Dutton said at an announcement in Sydney on Wednesday morning.
“Today we announce seven locations that we have looked at in great detail over a long period of time that can host new nuclear sites, and that’ll be part of an energy mix with renewables and significant amounts of gas into the system, particularly in the interim period.”
He said the assets would be owned by the Commonwealth, which would form partnerships with experienced nuclear companies tasked with building and operating them.
But he conceded his policy had not yet been costed. “We will have more to say in relation to the cost in due course, and, as you know, we’ve done this in a step-by-step process. The focus today is on the sites,” Dutton said.
Dutton also acknowledged he would need to convince state premiers to overturn nuclear bans. He said the Commonwealth could apply a national interest test and compulsorily acquire land from states for reactor sites.
