AUA disappointed in WA Labor's uranium approach
The Australian Uranium Association is disappointed that the
West Australian Labor Party will not allow the application of evidence-based
environmental review and approval processes to all uranium projects, should it
be returned to Government.
Today’s announcement by newly-elected Opposition Leader, Mr
Mark McGowan, is not a change in Labor’s prohibitionist uranium policy.
It is an arbitrary approach to the application of its
current policy. It is not a policy for investment certainty.
A sensible uranium policy is one which permits uranium
mining on merit, in the same way that mines for all other commodities are
assessed and permitted on merit.
Any other policy is bad policy.
Since 2007, Federal Labor environment ministers have applied
established environmental criteria to assess and approve three uranium
projects.
This is clear acknowledgment that the industry has
demonstrated it can operate in a safe and environmentally acceptable way.
In Western Australia, the ALP’s approach now is to draw a
completely arbitrary distinction between uranium development projects that are
well advanced and those that are not, regardless of their merits and
environmental credentials.
We are pleased for companies that can meet the ALP’s artificial
deadline, but for those that cannot, this will be a cause for investment uncertainty.