Dutton needs to listen to Gippsland locals and Australian scientists and ditch nukes

Environment Victoria has today joined with Gippsland local community voices in opposing Peter Dutton and Ted O’Brien’s push to develop nuclear power in Gippsland and other other regional areas, as well as encouraging politicians to respect the independence and integrity of Australia’s peak science organisation.

An alliance of community and environment groups rallied in Traralgon last week and heard from leading local voices opposing the federal Liberal National Coalition’s proposal to bring nuclear reactors to the Latrobe Valley.

Jono La Nauze, Environment Victoria CEO, said:

“The CSIRO and AEMO have taken the Coalition’s views into account in their latest GenCost report and found that nuclear power is still around 50 per cent more expensive than renewables. These are independent experts, not consultants paid by Peter Dutton.

“Peter Dutton’s nuclear agenda continues to create more questions than it answers

“One question Peter Dutton refuses to answer is where will he get the water to operate his nuclear plants? The Latrobe river system, which feeds the Gippsland lakes, is already over allocated and runoff is in permanent long term decline due to climate change.

“Another question Peter Dutton cannot answer is how he will keep the lights on in Victoria when our last aging coal power station shuts its doors in 2035 and his nuclear dreams are still a decade or more away

“The Coalition’s nuclear fantasy goes against what science says is needed to rapidly cut emissions and ignores the fact that the Latrobe Valley community is already leading the way towards a clean, renewable future.

”We need to stay the course for the renewable transformation already underway in the Valley – utilising natural resources and creating jobs – instead of being sidetracked with an expensive, risky and unsupported nuclear distraction.”

Adrian Cosgriff, spokesperson from Voices of the Valley, said:

“The fundamentals of baseload nuclear power for the Latrobe Valley no longer work. Therefore a nuclear baseload isn’t practical in the Valley. The public needs to understand that better – the real job opportunities that are here and happening today are in renewables and they are growing. Nuclear is an empty promise for the Valley.”