A NUCLEAR FREE AUSTRALIA MEANS:

• Greater Federal, State and local government commitment to energy conservation and a renewable energy industry employing many thousands of Australians
  
  
• Management of all Australian radioactive waste in secure, monitored, dry, above-ground storage
  
  
• Full commitment to further development of non-nuclear medical diagnostic methods, and while radioactive isotopes are still needed, as many as possible should be produced by non-reactor methods such as cyclotrons. (In the transition period, some medical isotopes will still need to be imported.)
  
  
• Commitment to comprehensive health, social and cultural studies, and a register, of all people affected by the Australian nuclear industry, and the establishment of appropriate compensation mechanisms
  
  
• Maintaining Australia's democracy free of the threat arising from our involvement in other nations' nuclear war preparations

NO

• exploration or mining of uranium or thorium
  
  
• importation of nuclear materials except for those used in medicine and engineering
  
  
• transportation of nuclear materials across Australian state/territory borders except those use for use in medicine or engineering*
  
  
• burial or sea-dumping of radioactive wastes in Australia or Australian waters
  
  
• no reprocessing of any nuclear waste within Australia or of Australian nuclear waste overseas
  
  
• new nuclear reactor for Australia and closure and decommissioning of the existing Lucas Heights reactor as soon as possible
  
  
• irradiation facilities for any purposes (food, etc.) except medical
  
  
• involvement in alliances which involve nuclear weapons, such as communications bases, military exercises in Australia or its waters, and the US National Missile Defence ('Star Wars') system
  
  
• visits of nuclear-powered or armed vessels to Australian waters

   

* Radioisotopes are used in equipment for fine measuring and weighing, and for crack-testing in heavy engineering. The total amount of nuclear material used is very small. However, the nuclear industry is promoting further industrial and domestic uses of radioactive material. Where non-radioactive alternatives are available (as there are for smoke detectors) they should be used. If unavailable, radioactive methods should only be used with regulated risk assessment and exposure and waste minimisation practices.