Bush Summit 2024: Survey reveals regional attitudes to nuclear reactors

While only one in three regional Australians would feel comfortable having a nuclear power station within 50km of their home, some areas are more receptive than others.

Only one in three regional Australians would feel comfortable having a nuclear power station within 50km of where they live.

And when asked to rank their preferred renewable energy projects in an exclusive new poll, regional Australians ranked nuclear energy significantly below onshore and offshore wind, green hydrogen and pumped hydro.

This story is part of News Corp Australia’s Bush Summit series celebrating rural and regional Australia and championing the issues that matter most to those living in the bush. You can read all our coverage here

News Corp Australia’s exclusive Mood of the Bush report, undertaken by SEC Newgate, found 30 per cent of regional Australians felt comfortable having a nuclear power station within 50km of where they lived, while 53 per cent disliked the idea.

The research comes as part of News Corp’s Bush Summit series, which celebrates rural and regional Australia and champions the issues that matter most to those living in the bush.

Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton earlier this year revealed the Coalition’s plan to build seven nuclear power plants on the sites of ageing coal-fired power stations across Australia as their main pitch for Australia’s renewable energy future.

The Coalition has not yet outlined the cost of building seven nuclear power plants and two smaller modular reactors, though the CSIRO’s latest GenCost report found a large-scale nuclear power plant would cost at least $8.5bn and take 15 years to deliver.

The Coalition has pledged to build seven nuclear power plants across Australia.

The Mood of the Bush report found people in regional NSW and Queensland were the most comfortable having a nuclear power station within 50km of where they lived (both 32 per cent), while only one in five regional West Australians felt comfortable.

Among regional Victorians, 29 per cent were comfortable having a nuclear power station within 50km of where they lived.

A total of 18 per cent of regional Australians were yet to make up their minds, while 53 per cent declared they were uncomfortable with the idea.

The Coalition’s nuclear plants would be built at existing coal-fired sites including Callide and Tarong in Queensland, Liddell Power Station and Mt Piper in NSW, Loy Yang in Victoria and a site in Port Augusta, South Australia.

Queensland’s Callide Power Station is about 12km from the nearest town of Biloela, while Tarong Power Station is 18km from the township of Nanango.

The Liddell Power Station is also 18km from Muswellbrook in NSW.

But other sites, including Mt Piper in NSW, Loy Yang in Victoria and the since-demolished Northern Power Station in South Australia are between 5km and 9km from the nearest population centres.

The Mood of the Bush report also found when they were offered 12 energy options, regional Australians ranked nuclear power at number eight, with just 39 per cent supporting it.

Rooftop solar has the most support at 88 per cent, followed by hydro-electric power (74 per cent) and waste-to-energy (72 per cent).

Originally published as Bush Summit 2024: Survey reveals regional attitudes to nuclear reactors