South Australia ‘unwise’ not to build nuclear waste storage facility if it stacks up, Martin Hamilton-Smith says

INDEPENDENT SA minister Martin Hamilton-Smith says the state would be “unwise” to reject nuclear waste storage if a “startling” promise of investment and new jobs is verified.

Nuclear decontamination worker using a Geiger counter to check radiation levels for barrels containing low-level radioactive waste. The waste was crushed and placed into barrels while decontaminating a radioactive nuclear site. The method of disposal depe

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INDEPENDENT SA minister Martin Hamilton-Smith says the state would be “unwise” to reject nuclear waste storage if a “startling” promise of investment and new jobs is verified.

Mr Hamilton-Smith, a former Liberal leader who won credit for announcing agenda-setting policies before he left the party to join Labor’s Cabinet in 2014, said the nuclear option must be strongly considered.

It contrasts with Labor ministers who have avoided indicating a view.

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission last week ruled out uranium enrichment or nuclear power for SA on economic grounds, but indicated huge wealth could be created from storage.

Mr Hamilton-Smith today said: “I’m personally strongly in favour of any innovative investment that will create jobs and opportunity for our children and grandchildren in this state”.

“I think, if the business case stacks up for a waste facility here in SA, South Australians would be unwise to turn it away because someone else will take it up quick as a flash,” he said.

“You’ll have the jobs and the enterprise created in someone else’s place.

“There is quite a startling amount of investment and job creating activity on offer there, based on the Royal Commission’s work.

“Before you say ‘no’ to that, as a state, you need to have a very careful think about it.”

Former manufacturing minister Tom Kenyon has publicly called for the state to pursue nuclear storage.

Premier Jay Weatherill has encouraged further public debate in the wake of the Royal Commissions’ interim findings, with a position to be put to Parliament before Christmas.

Both major state and federal parties say they are remaining open minded about nuclear storage.