LEADER of the Nationals David Littleproud says Agriculture Minister Murray Watt’s claim that nuclear power generation is a “thirsty endeavour” is scaremongering and hypocritical.
Minister Watt told The Australian’s Global Food Forum this morning that nuclear energy generation could threaten the Australian agriculture sector’s future water security.
However, Mr Littleproud said the Coalition had made it clear when announcing the proposed locations that their individual capacity would be limited by the existing coal plants existing water entitlements so nothing was taken from agriculture or communities.
The Nationals leader said the Labor government’s all renewables approach which firms its renewables with hydrogen requires more water and is already taking water from farmers and towns in central Queensland. Labor’s cancellation of nearly $7 billion of vital dam projects, and changing the Murray Darling Basin Plan to buy back an extra 450 gigalitres demonstrates the Albanese government’s hypocrisy and contempt for agriculture Mr Littleproud said.
“For him to talk about water security after this Labor Government changed the Murray Darling Basin Plan to include water buybacks as well as scrapping several new dam projects is hypocrisy of the highest order,” he said.
“By transforming existing coal-fired power plants to nuclear energy plants we will alleviate the need for 28,000 kilometres worth of new transition lines and as a result, reduce the need to rip up prime agricultural land to host renewable energy projects and new transmission lines.”
Mr Littleproud said the Albanese government didn’t understand agriculture and regional Australia when they see a different future than just transmission lines wind towers and solar panels littered across their landscape.
“Whether it was trying to implement a fresh food tax, destroying prime agricultural land for renewable energy projects or scrapping the Live Sheep Export industry, this Labor Government has shown it doesn’t care about farmers,” he said.
Source: David Littleproud
- Beef Central attended the Global Food Forum and will have more in the coming days
I find it interesting that the proposal will “only” use the water allocated to previous coal fired power stations…yet this water was bought and paid for by companies when the State Governments (mostly LNP), privatised the power sector, now they want to take back that water, despite what plans the current owners have for the water….doesn’t instil much confidence in buying a government asset does it. And no talk of compensation for property values that take a dive when nukes are built nearby.
The scaremongering from the incumbent government is nothing short of laughable. For most rural based Australians we grew up with generators and we know what it is like not to have a reliable efficient base load power source. If we are to dispense with coal fired power stations we need reliable base load power source and nuclear provides that solution. Nuclear will not use anymore water than coal fired power stations.