Queensland stakeholders call on federal Labor leaders to support uranium mining in the state
Queensland needs to swing-open its doors to uranium mining and with the state government playing deaf and blind on that emerging reality, cross-sectoral voices are training their attention on federal Labor stalwarts to overturn the state's standing ban on uranium exploration and nuclear energy.
The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) believes that the state government's adamant stand against uranium mining robs the state the opportunity to take advantage of the million-dollar investments and thousands of jobs set to be delivered by the uranium mining industry.
QRC spokesman Michael Roche urged the national Australian Labor Party (ALP) leadership to convince the Queensland government into revisiting its present policy on uranium mining, pointing out that the state possess "vast deposits of uranium and instead we are allowing South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory to satisfy the demands of an energy-hungry world."
Mr Roche said that the industry is poised to attract investments and generate jobs and the federal ALP leadership must assume the responsibility that state Labor leaders refused to exercise and if needed, "remove the ability for state Labor governments, like the Queensland government, to deny their state a lucrative new industry."
The move to open Queensland to uranium mining and allow the inflows of its perceived benefits prompted federal Labor MPs to reconsider debating on the topic when national party members gather for a conference in 2011.
Although a known supporter of the Liberal Party, Queensland mining billionaire Clive Palmer is supportive of the Labor initiative and moves a bit further by expressing his support on the development of nuclear power in Australia.
However, amidst the growing voices of support for uranium mining in many states and the snowballing efforts of pushing for a nuclear power industry in the country, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh appears unfazed by calls of her party mates to overturn her government's policy on the issue
In her capacity too as Labor's national president, Ms Bligh said that the Queensland government is not ready to veer away from its present nuclear energy policy and the ban on uranium mining in the state would remain under her leadership.
And the Premier found an ally on fellow Labor MP Betty Kiernan, who said that nuclear energy would not solve the immediate power issues of Queensland and she would not vote for its introduction in the state at this time.
However, Ms Kiernan is open to any future discussions of uranium mining in Queensland as she stressed that for the next 15 years, the north-west minerals province must explore ways that could solve its energy needs and the establishment of a nuclear power station also comes as a viable long-term consideration.