And I thought that Queensland was the SUNSHINE State!!



http://news.theage.com.au/national/nuclear-energy-debate-heats-up-in-qld-2008082
1-3zo3.html

Nuclear energy debate heats up in Qld
AAP The Age August 21, 2008 - 8:00PM


Queensland will need nuclear energy more than any other state in
Australia, says former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski.

Mr Switkowski, who chairs the Australian Nuclear Science and
Technology Organisation, launched The Australia Nuclear Association
Queensland (ANAQ) in Brisbane on Thursday.

He said the need for cleaner energy was more urgent in Queensland
because of the state's population growth.

"Queensland's economy is booming; its appetite for electricity is
growing faster than any other state in Australia," he said.

"It's going to have to make decisions earlier than other states in
terms of what the next generation of power plants are going to be.

"Given 90 per cent of electricity comes from fossil fuel and in the
future we can't use fossil fuels, at least not to the same extent, the
creation of this group to stimulate an objective debate about nuclear
power makes a lot
of sense."

The ANAQ has five corporate members including stockbroking firm ABN
AMRO Morgans and 13 individuals ranging from lawyers to engineers.

Association secretary Kate Holmes said the aim was to crank up the
nuclear debate but she did not see the association as a lobby group.

"Nuclear energy has been going for 50 years but not many people know
much about it," the Brisbane lawyer said.

"The idea is to be an education forum to help educate people on the
pros and cons of nuclear energy."

Dr Switkowski said nuclear power was used in 31 countries and
Australia would soon have to look at it as a viable alternative to fossil
fuels.

He said the ban on uranium mining in Queensland was contentious.

"There is no logic I can see for Queensland to not develop uranium
reserves," he said.

The former Chief Executive Officer of Telstra was appointed by the
Commonwealth Government to chair an inquiry into the viability of nuclear
power in Australia in 2006.

2008 AAP ------------ This message has been posted to the
Greenleap List by: Philip Sutton