‘Don’t want nuclear power’: Wild scenes as protestors storm Perth’s CBD during inquiry into nuclear energy

Wild scenes have erupted in Perth’s CBD after protestors attempted to crash an inquiry into nuclear power being held in the city. Members from Nuclear Free WA, community groups and the public provided evidence to the inquiry on Tuesday, but it was not open to everyone. Nuclear Free WA convener Liam Lilly said the Perth protest was an opportunity for people who could not attend the inquiry to have their voices heard in opposition to nuclear power in Australia. Protestors were allegedly blocked from entering an inquiry held in the southwest town of Collie earlier this year, where a nuclear energy power station has been proposed. Mr Lilly said it showed how much of a democratic process and the type of democratic values the proponents of the proposal were trying to push. “They are just trying to bury opposition to these proposals and not have a fair democratic process in that regard,” he said. “We do not want nuclear power in WA, we have better options in renewables. “We also have great concerns about the longevity of waste products which remain radioactive for tens of hundreds of years, if not thousands. “Unfortunately, the Coalition want to go ahead with nuclear.” Mr Lilly said in the time it would take Australia to move towards nuclear energy the climate crisis would be exacerbated. “This is just a front for the coalition to extend the life of the fossil fuel industry,” he said. In a joint statement, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Nationals Leader David Littleproud and Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Ted O’Brien said analysis from Frontier Economics revealed the Coalition’s energy mix, including nuclear power, offered a cheaper, cleaner, and more consistent alternative. “Nuclear energy is the key to achieving net-zero emissions sooner. Under the Coalition’s plan, Australia will meet net zero emissions by 2050 – one year earlier than Labor – while generating fewer emissions beyond 2050,” the statement read. “By avoiding Labor’s unnecessary overdevelopment on pristine landscapes and farmland, the Coalition ensures a more sustainable and responsible shift from coal to zero emissions nuclear.” Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Australia needed new, cheap power now, not expensive power in 20 years. “Ageing, expensive and unreliable coal plants are closing and we have to fill the gap. Dutton’s nuclear scheme would have us short on power for two decades – a sure-fire recipe for rolling and expensive blackouts,” he said.