The state would reap billions of dollars in revenue by hosting a dump, says royal commissioner and former governor Kevin Scarce

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

South Australia should seize the opportunity to store the world’s high-level nuclear waste, the state’s nuclear royal commission has recommended.

Nuclear waste is zombie waste: Australia must not become a dumping ground | Dave Sweeney Read more

Kevin Scarce, a former governor of South Australia who led the inquiry, said the state should seize the opportunity as soon as possible to establish a high-level nuclear waste dump in exchange for billions of dollars in revenue.

The recommendation, contained in the commission’s final report, follows tentative findings delivered in February.

Jay Weatherill, the state’s premier, said the opportunity offered significant benefits but required strong public support. The government will embark on a public consultation process before making a decision by the end of the year. The plan is strongly opposed by the Indigenous owners of the land on which the site is likely to be located.

“This is a much more profound decision than communities are usually asked to make,” Weatherill said on Monday. “I don’t see it as simply ticking the community support box.”

Weatherill is yet to outline how public consultation would work, but said he did not think there should be a referendum.

The royal commission has estimated a nuclear dump could generate $257bn in revenue against costs of $145bn over its 120-year life span.

Opposition leader Steven Marshall said both sides of politics would need to work together to make such a large project possible.

“This opportunity for South Australia is not something that goes through one election cycle,” he said. “It’s going to be commissioned for a very, very long time so we’ve got to get it right.”

