http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21537235-643,0...

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21537235-643,00.html

Lift uranium ban, EU envoy to plead

* Nigel Wilson, Energy writer
* April 11, 2007

WESTERN Australian Premier Alan Carpenter will be told today the state Government has an obligation to lift its ban on uranium mining so that Europe can reach its greenhouse gas emissions targets.
The message will be relayed by European Union ambassador Bruno Julien during a courtesy call to the Premier this morning.

In an interview published in Perth he said European countries were interested in long-term contracts for uranium.

"We need more uranium because we are trying to green our energy supplies, to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions and it's our view we can work with WA," he said.

The news comes as uranium prices this week rose 19 per cent to a record $US113 a pound at a US auction because of increasing demand for the fuel, used in nuclear power plants.

The percentage jump, from $US95 a pound a week earlier, was the biggest since prices were first reported in 1968, Denver-based TradeTech said in its weekly Nuclear Market Review.

Mr Carpenter will meet the ambassador, on his first official visit to Western Australia before travelling to Canberra for discussions before Friday's Council of Australian Governments meeting.

The West Australian Labor Government has long banned uranium mining on the grounds it would lead to demands that Australia become a repository for foreign nuclear waste.

Mr Carpenter affirmed last month he was opposed to lifting the ban because uranium might be needed to meet future domestic energy needs.

The ALP's national conference this month is expected to lift the party's "no new mines" policy but the West Australian ALP state conference in June is not expected to debate the issue after Mr Carpenter said there would be no uranium mined in the state while he was premier.

BHP Billiton and Rio have big uranium deposits in the state but no firm development plans.

Additional reporting: Bloomberg