Representatives from the City of Cockburn are set to visit a nuclear reactor as part of their preparations for the arrival of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement. This tour is scheduled to coincide with the Indo Pacific International Maritime Conference, taking place in Sydney from November 4 to 6. The conference is recognized as the premier maritime and naval defence expo in the region, bringing together leaders from defence, industry, government, academia, and technology.
The conference agenda includes presentations by the Australian Submarine Agency, which will address various aspects of the AUKUS agreement, including clarifying misinformation regarding waste management, the safety of naval reactors, and protocols for handling radioactive materials. The communities of Rockingham and Cockburn are preparing for significant developments at HMAS Stirling and the Henderson Defence Precinct as a result of this agreement and the establishment of the Submarine Rotational Force-West.
The Australian Government has committed $12 billion to upgrades at Henderson, with aspirations to transform it into the largest shipbuilding and maintenance hub in the southern hemisphere. Cockburn’s delegation at the conference will include Mayor Logan Howlett, CEO Daniel Simms, and Principal Economic Development Officer Michael Faulkner. They, along with Warwick Carter, director of the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance, accepted an invitation from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to tour the Lucas Heights facility.
The tour aims to provide these representatives with firsthand experience of safety protocols and risk management concerning nuclear waste storage. According to Mr. Carter, this visit is crucial for ensuring due diligence as communities prepare for the implications of nuclear-powered submarines.
“While we support the benefits that AUKUS will bring to local communities in terms of employment and training over the coming decade, it is critical for us to be informed about the associated nuclear elements on behalf of our community,” he stated. “Our community has expressed both support and concerns regarding AUKUS. The ANSTO tour is an opportunity that we should not ignore.”
Notably, representatives from the cities of Rockingham, Melville, Fremantle, and the Town of East Fremantle are not participating in either the conference or the tour. A spokesperson from East Fremantle mentioned that while they declined the invitation, the town remains committed to increasing awareness and understanding of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the AUKUS agreement on the region.
Mr. Carter highlighted the importance of the conference as a significant opportunity for local government representatives to engage with businesses considering establishing operations in the area, particularly on the Western Trade Coast. The City of Cockburn will cover the cost of airfares and accommodation for its representatives, while transport arrangements for the ANSTO tour will be organized separately, with taxi costs shared among attendees.
The Lucas Heights Open Pool Australian Lightwater reactor, which has been operational since 2007, is a 20MW multipurpose reactor that produces radioisotopes used in cancer detection and treatment, as well as neutron beams for materials research. ANSTO reports that it supplies approximately 75 to 80 percent of the nuclear medicines used in Australia, which benefit Australians on average at least twice in their lifetime.
Despite its critical role, the facility has encountered safety incidents in the past. In March 2019, three staff members required hospitalization and decontamination after exposure to sodium hydroxide in the nuclear medicine manufacturing building. Additionally, in August 2017, a worker was contaminated after dropping a vial of radioactive material, which was deemed the most serious incident globally that year according to the International Nuclear Event Scale.
As the region gears up for the AUKUS agreement’s implementation, the upcoming visit to the nuclear reactor underscores the importance of preparedness and transparency in managing the associated risks.
