The Federal Government's House Select Committee on Nuclear Energy has conducted its first round of public hearings in central Queensland to hear views on the potential development of a nuclear power station in the Callide electorate.
The Committee, established in October 2024, has a wide ambit to consider the logistics, challenges and legal framework for nuclear power generation before it reports back to the Federal Government by 30 April 2025.
In 1997, the Beattie government outlawed nuclear power generation in Queensland by enacting the Queensland Nuclear Facilities Prohibition Act 2007 and the building support for nuclear energy at a Federal level could cause a clash between Queensland law and Federal law if a project is developed to the point of construction.
Legal friction aside, the public hearings included a full spectrum of landholders in support or opposition to the proposal, environmental groups and citizens concerned about economic impacts of a project in an area known for its abundance of fossil fuels.
The recent wave of renewable energy project development in Queensland holds lessons for governments and landholders on this new nuclear frontier, particularly the need to be vigilant with project proponents to ensure that landholders rights are protected at the same time as meeting new demands for non-coal fired power.
More information on the Committee can be found here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Select_Committee_on_Nuclear_Energy
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