Gladstone Councillor Kahn Goodluck says Australia’s future is in renewables, not nuclear

In a region home to both fossil fuels while forging ahead with renewables, a popular councillor has shared his views about Peter Dutton’s plan to build seven nuclear reactors, including one in Central Qld. OPINION

Gladstone Regional Councillor Kahn Goodluck believes Australia’s future is in renewables, not nuclear, energy. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

The Gladstone region is the industrial powerhouse of the nation. We’re getting on with the job of transitioning our economy from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

One of the biggest employers in our region Rio Tinto needs renewable energy now to decarbonise their operations and ensure we can maintain their alumina refineries and smelter in a post 2050 world, providing green alumina and green aluminium to the world where the market demand is. Thousands of potential jobs for our community that rely on clean, green energy in the grid to make it happen. These projects have the ability to catapult our economy into the renewable energy future and provide livelihoods for families and future generations with clean, green, cheap renewable energy

The good news is that we are already well on the way to help meet these targets with eight renewable hydrogen/green chemical plants, four solar projects, two pumped hydro projects, two bio refining projects in the planning phase and Alpha HPA already creating renewable high-purity aluminium products.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton hopes to overturn Australia’s ban on nuclear power and build seven reactors across the country, including one at Callide.Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

The biggest lie of Dutton’s scheme is that it will keep the lights on, and energy bills down.

The CSIRO has shown that even if reactors could be built in time – and that’s a very big if because any evidence from countries where nuclear is already an established industry shows that timelines and budgets blow out wildly – they would cost exponentially more than the renewables we’re already building. Up to seven times more than the cost of renewable energy like solar and wind.

Cost is king when it comes to electricity. Business, industry and mums and dads across the nation can’t afford to be paying a premium for nuclear energy that they don’t need. Seven times the cost for nuclear energy means seven times the size of your power bills.

Peter Dutton says he will utilise gas to fill the gap while we work through the technicalities of getting nuclear energy into the grid over 15 years. Gas is already the most expensive form of energy in our energy mix because we’re tied to international gas market pricing. So this will only increase power prices as well as climate pollution more in the interim as we wait for the nuclear plants to be built.

Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, Senator Murray Watt, Senator Anthony Chisholm, and Gladstone Regional Council Councillor Kahn Goodluck when he was deputy mayor attending Rio Tinto's Yarwun site. Picture: Nilsson Jones

The good news is that 40 per cent of our energy is already coming from renewable sources. The sensible and responsible thing for us to do is stay the course which will drive up employment opportunities and drive down our power bills.

Not to mention the issue of where the waste will go or the prospect of these climate change-induced extreme weather events causing more havoc and destruction to our communities.

We don’t need or want expensive, radioactive, nuclear energy here. Australia’s energy future is renewable. Solar, wind and batteries are technologies available right now which are attracting significant private investment. We can continue to roll this out now to both slash climate pollution and build a reliable clean power system. We can’t let Dutton sell out our kids’ future for a hare-brained scheme he can’t even tell us how much will cost.

Originally published as Gladstone Councillor Kahn Goodluck says Australia’s future is in renewables, not nuclear