States to retain powers on uranium mining, says RuddApril 3,...

States to retain powers on uranium mining, says Rudd
April 3, 2007

LABOR leader Kevin Rudd says state governments will continue to decide for themselves whether they expand Australia's uranium industry, despite his high-profile campaign to scrap his party's 20-year-old ban on new uranium mines.

Mr Rudd told reporters during a visit to a Queensland coalmine yesterday that the states would retain their powers to either block or approve new mines, regardless of the outcome of a landmark uranium debate at this month's ALP national conference.

"That's ultimately a matter for them," Mr Rudd said.

This means states such as Western Australia, which has so far refused to consider a change of policy, could continue to block new mine developments in defiance of federal Labor party policy.

Mr Rudd's comments came as Prime Minister John Howard visited Australia's largest uranium mine at Olympic Dam in South Australia.

Mr Howard said he was confident that BHP Billiton would secure the necessary environmental approvals to expand its mining operations.

Mr Howard also used the visit to attempt to pressure Mr Rudd ahead of this month's party conference, claiming there was no consistency in Labor's policy on uranium mining.

"What is the consistency in a policy that says we believe in mining uranium, we believe in exporting it, but we completely close our minds to thepossibility that we might use uranium domestically for the purpose of generating nuclear power?" Mr Howard said.

"I think if we are serious about climate change, we have to have every option on the table."

But Mr Rudd said Mr Howard's support for nuclear energy showed that the Federal Government was "starting to haul up the white flag" on the development of clean coal technology.

"We believe in investing in the future of Australia's clean coal industry," Mr Rudd said in Queensland.

"And I fear that what Mr Howard is doing by backing his 25 nuclear reactors around the country is effectively starting to haul up the white flag when it comes to the future of clean coal technology."