urg::: Uranium ban silly: Ferguson

[Len Kanaar - FoE Sydney]

The Australian

Uranium ban silly: Ferguson
Katharine Murphy
07sep05

LABOR resources spokesman Martin Ferguson has urged Peter Beattie to 
scrap restrictions on uranium mining after the Queensland Resources 
Council called yesterday for new mines for the state.

Mr Ferguson told The Australian yesterday there were known deposits 
of uranium in Queensland that could be developed following the recent 
trebling in the world price.

"In the minds of the resources industry, they cannot see why uranium 
mining is acceptable in South Australia but not in Queensland," Mr 
Ferguson said.

It was "hard to accept that in a resources state" coal stocks could 
be exploited to take advantage of the resources boom, but uranium 
deposits had to be left undeveloped.

Mr Ferguson's move increased political pressure on the Premier 
following a decision by the Queensland Resources Council yesterday to 
enter the national debate on uranium mining and nuclear power for the 
first time, advocating that new mines should be allowed in the state.

"The QRC believes there is no justification for excluding Queensland 
uranium from the global energy mix," the resource council said.

QRC chief executive Michael Roche told The Australian that given the 
global energy outlook, Queensland resources companies had given 
unanimous endorsement to an increase in uranium mining.

The ALP has adopted a policy against new uranium mines, but there is 
growing pressure from within Labor ranks for a change that would 
allow the industry to take advantage of the growing export demand.

Uranium mining is proceeding in the Northern Territory and in South 
Australia, but bans in Queensland and Western Australia prevent 
deposits from being developed.

Mr Beattie has argued that increasing uranium mining would detract 
from the performance of the coal industry in Queensland.

Uranium mining is strongly opposed by many of Mr Ferguson's 
colleagues in the federal Labor caucus, as well as by 
environmentalists, many health groups and indigenous landholders.

But federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane, who has been making 
the case for a dramatic expansion in uranium mining, seized on the 
state council's endorsement and called on Mr Beattie to open up the 
state to mining.

"A potential $3 billion and hundreds in new Queensland jobs is not an 
opportunity I thought Mr Beattie could afford to turn his back on," 
Mr Macfarlane said. "He should drop the political pretence and make 
the effort to learn something about this industry before dismissing 
it because of some ideological objection."

Mr Macfarlane said there was no justification for Mr Beattie's view 
that uranium mining would hurt Queensland coal exports, which have 
been booming because of intense Chinese demand for Australian 
commodities.

"To say greater uranium exports would encroach on Australian coal 
export markets is the usual cocktail of Beattie spin and ill-informed 
comment," he said.

"He's dismissing job and export opportunities on the basis of a 
completely false view that uranium exports will hurt our coal 
exports. It's absurd."


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