What’s ANSTO not telling us about activities taking place at their Lucas Heights Nuclear reactor facility, and why? Rex Patrick takes a look.
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) prides itself on its social licence. As the operator of the only nuclear reactor in Australia in the southern Sydney suburbs, it has to.
There’s lots of information on ANSTO’s website and it regularly publishes newsletters online to inform Sutherland Shire locals and the community at large what it’s up to. Indeed, they have published 55 detailed articles online since I first put in a Freedom of Information request seeking details about an activity they had been contracted to perform by the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA).
I’m still fighting for transparency around the documents requested but we now know they’re doing secret naval nuclear propulsion testing.
Materials Laboratory Testing (Source: FOI)
The work Involves some sort of laboratory testing, and we know little else other than the release of full details is, according to ANSTO, “expected to cause damage to the defence of the Commonwealth” and “to the international relations of the Commonwealth.” It’s all secret.
And so, what’s the scam?
Locally, the Government portrays its Lucas Heights facility as civilian in nature and one that “leverages great science to deliver big outcomes. We partner with scientists and engineers and apply new technologies to provide real-world benefits. Our work improves human health, saves lives, builds our industries and protects the environment.”
Internationally, Australia is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has been trying to convince the world that it can be trusted with nuclear weapons grade material that the planned AUKUS submarines will use in their reactors. (DFAT has had $80M set aside to do a bit of international schmoozing to counter multiple nations concerns about a loophole AUKUS will put into nuclear non-proliferation).
In August 2024 the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which must sign off our AUKUS nuclear plans, advised member states, “the Agency is discussing with Australia technical aspects and modalities to facilitate possible verification and monitoring activities by the Agency, as well as the implementation of voluntary transparency measures, in relation to Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion programme.”
Perhaps the IAEA is fully informed of the secret activities taking place at Lucas Heights. Perhaps not.
Readers need to understand that MWM is not suggesting the ASA is building a nuclear bomb, The contract between ASA and ANSTO states that the activity has something to do with background radiation site characterisation and baselining (presumably around HMAS Stirling near Perth or the Osborne Shipbuilding precinct near Adelaide).
But it begs the question, why all the secrecy? How does that help with social licence and an international image of transparency?
ANSTO Contract Introduction (Source: FOI)
ANSTO, at present still Australia’s primary repository of nuclear expertise, has begun its involvement with the default setting of secrecy. It’s not a good start.
Rex Patrick is a former Senator for South Australia and, earlier, a submariner in the armed forces. Best known as an anti-corruption and transparency crusader, Rex is also known as the "Transparency Warrior."