Nuclear reaction

By Tania Martin
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges is calling for the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) to reject the introduction of nuclear power across the state.
This comes after environmentalist Roger Willsher of The Patch last week urged the council to get other municipalities to declare a nuclear-free status.
In February this year the Shire of Yarra Ranges declared the shire a nuclear-free zone after receiving a petition calling for the council to take a stand on the issue.
The council at its meeting last Tuesday night agreed that other Victorian councils need to take steps towards protecting the country against the introduction of nuclear power.
Councillor Samantha Dunn said calling for the MAV’s support on the issue was a good way to send the Federal Government the message that people reject nuclear power.
The Federal Government is proposing that 25 nuclear reactors be installed in Australia with eight to be located in Victoria.
Mr Willsher said people across the country need to stand up and say no to the introduction of nuclear power.
He said nuclear energy was an unacceptable risk that many countries now close the door on.
Mr Willsher said countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan and Lithuania, who have operated nuclear reactors in the past, have closed down or are progressively reducing their dependency on this unsafe and dirty power resource.
Mr Willsher, a Puffing Billy volunteer, said he has even had the chance to meet people who have been affected by nuclear contamination.
Several years ago he met a group of young teenagers from Ukraine during his work at Puffing Billy, who because of nuclear contamination had leukaemia and cancer.
“They would probably be all dead now and even if they had survived they could never become parents because their children would have been exposed to contamination,” he said.
Mr Willsher said the Federal Government’s idea that people could vote whether they want a nuclear reactor site in their electorate was absurd.
He said if there was a spill of nuclear waste it wouldn’t matter who voted for the reactor because radioactive contamination would spread.
“People who voted to reject John Howard’s proposal would still feel the consequences even though they said no – radioactivity doesn’t know electoral boundaries.”
Mr Willsher said it was now up to the people of Victoria and Australia to stand up and say no to nuclear power.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood said he was greatly concerned about the suggestion of nuclear power in Australia.
Mr Wood, an advocate for renewable energy such as solar and clean coal technology, said he sees no need to introduce nuclear power.
“For me there is no need to explore this option but we should be looking at these other avenues first such as solar power,” he said.
“I can’t see nuclear reactors being built in Australia – I just can’t see it happening.”