South Australia Economic Growth Slows

Latest Government report puts South Australia at the sixth State rating for economic growth. Tops are States WA, VIC and ACT. Our future growth lies in the mining and defense industries, it says.

Future growth prospects for SA are not good, although the potential is enormous. What is putting on the brakes? I suggest it is the Labor and Green's Party and their faulty and bizarre philosophies that act like putting sand in the gear box of a car and expect it to run better.

Woe is Australia! At least our economic enemy is brought into focus! Take notice workers, farmers, MDBasin residents and everyone trying to earn an honest buck.

I am all for the expansion of BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam copper/uranium mine which is located in the SA outback. Do people realize that this will be (is already) the largest uranium mine in the WORLD? And yet in Australia we (ALP,Greens) do not accept nuclear power stations as part of our base load electricity production. Even Argentina, a country of comparable population, has three nuclear power stations.

It will take a decade to recover from ex-Premier Mike Rann's ill-founded idea of pursuing renewable energy, regardless of cost, which is reflected in our power bills, and is totally unnecessary.

SA needs a NEW ENERGY POLICY. Our future in the short term lies in coal and more exploration for deposits is required .. take notice Mines & Energy Department. Long term we must establish South Australia as the leader in nuclear technology and power production. Our universities must teach nuclear technology so that we have the personnel to operate future nuclear power stations, most of which will be located in outback regions.

The idea that major future growth of SA depends on the defense industry is problematical. Do we want more faulty and costly Collins class submarines? I don't think so. If we need a couple of OPERATIONAL submarines let's buy/lease them from the US, UK or Japan who are trimming down their fleet. Tell me ONE useful thing our Collins submarine(s) have done in the past 20 years. We would have been better to build a few Egyptian-type pyramids, which would last for a thousand years and be a great tourist asset. Forget submarines and let's build less complicated vessels needed by the defense forces. Enough stirring for one very hot day in Adelaide ca 37 degrees (& the windmills are not turning). Hasta manana, Allano

Nuclear Advantage (2)

Letter to the Editor #9, "The Independent Weekly" (Adelaide)
27 Sept 2009, (194 words).
by Allan Taylor of Hove.

The professor of climate change at Adelaide University, Barry Brook, is promoting nuclear power in Australia, and so too is Ziggy Switkowski, chairman of the Australian Nuclear and Science Technology Association.

However, Premier Mike Rann maintains his opposition to a nuclear plant in SA, but encourages the expansion of the Olympic Dam uranium mine to produce uranium for export. Both State and Federal Labor are promoting renewable energy for our future and seem not at all interested in the nuclear option.

Labor’s recently passed Renewable Energy Target bill specifies 20% electricity being generated from renewables by 2020. Both Ziggy and Prof. Brook say that this is impossible and suggest the alternative of nuclear power with no greenhouse gas emissions.

It would be more sensible to develop nuclear power in SA rather than waste money on unnecessary and expensive renewable energy (wind, solar and geothermal). Prof Brook also says that there is no evidence to show that existing wind farms in SA have caused any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Top priority in any energy plan is security of supply. The optimum mix is most likely one third each of electricity supplied from coal, gas and nuclear sources.
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