Nuclear key to refinery jobs: report

Courier Mail
Monday 14/7/2008 Page: 2

THE Rudd Government is being urged to embrace nuclear energy as a source of clean energy, amid warnings its emissions trading scheme could result in "desolate" industrial wastelands. Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes will today release a key report on emissions trading by the Per Capita consulting firm that shows Australia's aluminium sector, employing 35,000 people, could be devastated.

"This report demonstrates that if we get the design of the ETS wrong, we will have Newcastle replicated 10 times over and across the rest of the country," Mr Howes said. The NSW city went into a period of financial decline after BHP closed its steelworks a decade ago. Union leaders and business figures fear an emissions trading scheme will hurt industry, causing job losses and sending investment offshore. The aluminium sector is particularly vulnerable.

The Per Capita report says jobs could be lost to Brazil, China and India if Canberra imposed tough laws. The study recommends the Government give the aluminium sector a "partial exemption" from carbon trading for up to five years. It also recommends the embrace of nuclear energy for the energy-intensive aluminium sector.