‘Three-eyed fish’ comments not helpful, nuclear experts dispel safety fears

Energy experts and the Coalition have dismissed attempts by Labor to stoke fears about the safety risk of nuclear generation as the Albanese government begins its scare campaign.

An AMWU social media post about nuclear energy.

Energy experts and the Coalition have dismissed attempts by Labor to stoke fears about the safety risk posed by nuclear power, as the Albanese government begins its scare campaign in response to Peter Dutton’s atomic plan.

Several federal Labor MPs and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan shared images on their social media implying nuclear energy would harm the environment on Thursday, after the Opposition Leader unveiled his proposal to build seven nuclear reactors across the country.

But three eminent nuclear experts have rejected the claim that atomic energy is dangerous, saying the technology is the safest form of power generation and modern reactors are designed with passive safety systems to prevent a meltdown.

On Thursday, Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh posted an image of cartoon character Blinky Bill with three eyes, Bruce MP Julian Hill shared a picture of a two-headed cow and Ms Allan shared a depiction of “Peter Dutton’s Gippsland”, featuring the three-eyed fish from The Simpsons.

⚠️☢️ The biggest con in decades! Peter Dutton wants Australians to pay for his nuclear reactors, and pay more for electricity.
 
Nuclear energy is the MOST expensive form of power. He won’t even say how many hundreds of billions of your dollars this fantasy would cost. #auspolpic.twitter.com/YenwxKq25p

— Julian Hill MP (@JulianHillMP) June 20, 2024

Peter Dutton's nuclear plan isn't even a policy - it's a fairy tale.

There are no costings, no community consultation, and no support from Premier's to have these expensive plants in their States. pic.twitter.com/G8MaQJAyt2

— Peter Khalil MP (@PeterKhalilMP) June 20, 2024

The Liberal Party want a toxic and expensive nuclear reactor in Gippsland.

We're already getting on with building cheap and reliable renewable energy to power Victoria. pic.twitter.com/3ikjJF6PML

— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) June 19, 2024

Hunter MP Dan Repacholi shared an image of a fisherman and a three-eyed catch, captioned “what fishing in Lake Macquarie will look like with Peter Dutton’s risky nuclear power plants”.

Labor MP Dan Repacholi has posted a meme of a three-eyed fish suggesting the Coalition’s nuclear plan is environmentally dangerous. Picture: Instagram

Opposition legal affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said Anthony Albanese should not tolerate the “juvenile, undergraduate attempt at humour”, arguing it could undermine support for the AUKUS submarines.

“Mr Albanese should pull his frontbench and all Labor MPs into line and tell them not to make such attacks,’’ she said.

Australian National University expert Tony Irwin, a member of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s nuclear safety committee, said there is ample evidence to show it is the safest of all the technologies.

“The latest generation of reactors are very safe, a modern reactor would have survived even the Fukushima accident,” he said.

Labor MP Andrew Leigh has posted a meme of a three-eyed Blinky Bill. Picture: Instagram

Adi Paterson, a former Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation CEO, said stoking fear over the safety of atomic energy generation was unjustifiable given the rigorous regulatory standards nuclear facilities operated under in Australia.

Dr Paterson said reactors were frequently located close to communities overseas, including in South Africa, where a plant is just 23km from Cape Town.

“(In Cape Town) the nearest suburb is 300 metres away,” he said. “In Canada, at the CANDU reactors, the nearest domestic dwelling is 35 metres from the fence. This is not scary stuff. These big exclusion zones and so on are put there to pacify aggressive, stupid people in government.”

ANU nuclear expert Andrew Stuchbery said depictions of three-eyed fish were an “exaggeration” of the risk.

“For a lot of things, like smoking and speeding … the perception of the risk between the general public and experts is on par,” he said. “It’s interesting that with nuclear energy there’s a disparity between the view of the experts and the general public.

“Why that is, is complicated. I think the three-eyed fish from The Simpsons is a factor, and historically nuclear energy has been linked with nuclear weapons … But if you look at the safety record and you compare other energy protection industries, nuclear has a safer record, and it has killed less people than renewables.”