There’s major support at a federal level to stimulate growth in the North West.
LNP candidate for Kennedy Annette Swaine at the former uranium mine at Mary Kathleen last week.
Bob Katter says Mount Isa would be an ideal location for Australia’s first nuclear power plant – and he believes Peter Dutton will listen if he becomes Prime Minister.
The Kennedy MP, who could hold the balance of power after the federal election, has thrown his support behind a nuclear facility in the North West that could feed electricity back into the national grid through CopperString.
Mr Katter told North West Weekly that he believed Mr Dutton would be willing to consider a Mount Isa nuclear power plant, even though the Liberal leader has repeatedly said that only existing coal-fired power stations would be upgraded to generate nuclear energy under his current policy.
“I think you could put a nuclear power station north of Mount Isa where there is not much run-off,” Mr Katter said.
“Mount Isa is an ideal location – we have huge deposits of uranium in the North West and you don’t want to be moving that stuff around too far. Dutton has himself hinted at that sort of approach.
“The Liberals disappoint you, they make a big deal about something and they retreat on it, but you can pound the bastards into a position and I won’t be backwards in coming forward about this.”
With nuclear power set to become a major policy debate during the looming federal election, Mr Katter said the North West was perfectly positioned to capitalise on the increasing demand for uranium and the state government should recommence mining the ore immediately.
It is a call that has the support of the federal LNP, with Kennedy candidate Annette Swaine saying she believed a North West uranium industry would be necessary to fuel the shift towards nuclear energy if Mr Dutton became Prime Minister.
However, she stopped short of supporting a nuclear power station in Mount Isa.
“I believe there is no credible pathway to net zero by 2050 without nuclear energy working alongside gas and renewables as part of a balanced energy mix,” she said.
“I fully support reintroducing uranium mining in Queensland to fuel Australia’s nuclear future.
“For too long, Queensland has been held back by bans that make no economic or environmental sense. Mount Isa is not one of the seven sites announced for the coalition’s nuclear power plants, but I believe our region must be part of the national conversation on energy.”
The future of uranium projects in the North West is expected to be a serious discussion point at a MITEZ gathering this week.
There is a more bullish mood among some resource proponents to discuss the economic potential of uranium ore extraction after repeated political polls have indicated younger generations hold a favourable view of nuclear power.
Currently, only uranium exploration is permitted in Queensland and there is a ban on new mines being developed in Western Australia.
Australia has the largest reserves of uranium ore in the world, holding about one-third of the known global total.
Since the end of the Cold War in 1991 there has never been enough uranium extracted each year to meet increasing global demand, with an 11 per cent shortfall in 2024.
During some years, the world has only managed to extract 50 per cent of global demand.
Uranium markets have historically relied on secondary supply stockpiled from the Cold War era, including the recycling of decommissioned weapons.
With more than 50 nuclear reactors currently under construction around the world and a host of other facilities undergoing upgrades, the demand for uranium ore is predicted to increase by 30 per cent in the next five years, fuelled by nuclear energy’s reputation as a zero-carbon power source.
Commerce North West president Johno Neilsen said the recommencement of uranium mining in Queensland would generate needed revenue for our region.
“I think any new mining is good for our region,” he told North West Weekly.
“I think in the short-term we need to be looking at resource projects to bolster the local economy as the Mount Isa City Council moves towards diversifying the economy in the long-term.”
Source: North West Weekly
