Banter and general comments, page-35919

I understand that In Australia, uranium mining is currently allowed only in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia with exploration allowed in New South Wales. The Northern Territory is required to give effect to the advice of the Commonwealth Government before approving mines. Additional laws are in place to manage radiation protection.Uranium mining is a prescribed nuclear action under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Before any uranium mine can be developed in Australia, it must be assessed and approved by the federal and state or territory governments. A typical assessment and approval process takes at least three years from referral to ministerial approval.All mining activity, including uranium mining, has an environmental impact which is moderated through environment assessment and approval processes, mining conditions and performance monitoring and reporting. The environmental performance of the uranium industry is scrutinised comprehensively with detailed reporting requirements.

Regarding the 3 Uranium Mines Policy, I understand that in April 2007, the Labor party, under the new leadership of Kevin Rudd voted at their national conference to abandon the policy. The vote was only won by a narrow margin- 205 to 190, and heavy internal criticism resulted. Ministers Peter Garrett and Anthony Albanese remained outspokenly opposed to the decision due to the unresolved problems of nuclear waste storage and nuclear weapons proliferation.