On 6 June 2006 the then Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard, announced the appointment of a taskforce to undertake an objective, scientific, balanced and comprehensive review of uranium mining, value-adding processing and the contribution of nuclear energy in Australia. The Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review (UMPNER) produced a report recognising that nuclear energy can be a difficult issue for some Australians but noted that Australia’s demand for electricity will more than double by 2050; greenhouse gas emissions and projected climate change are of worldwide concern and that nuclear energy could economically contribute to its mitigation.

This presentation will draw out UMPNER’s key findings and present them, to the extent possible, in a layman friendly manner. It will specifically address the issues of cost, sustainability, the alternatives, safety and of course spent fuel disposal. The intent is to provide a factual, well researched albeit brief basis to support further intelligent and informed debate on the issues posed by the possible introduction of nuclear energy as a sustainable energy option for Australia.

The Australian nuclear debate is far from over – indeed it is only just beginning!

About the presenter: Martin Thomas AM FTSE HonFIEAust FAIE
Martin Thomas has had a lifetime career in energy consulting, concluding as a Principal of Sinclair Knight Merz. Later he became founding Managing Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE). He currently serves as Chairman of Energy Technologies Limited (ASX:EGY) and Chairman of Dulhunty Poles Pty Limited.

Former roles include Chairmanships of the energy industry association Austenergy, the NSW Electricity Council and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Energy Panel. He has also served as Deputy Chairman of Australian Inland Energy, Chairman of the Asia Pacific International College (APIC) and non-executive Director of the Tyree Group and EnviroMission Ltd (ASX:EVM).

He is a past President of the Institution of Engineers, Australia (EA) and of the Australian Institute of Energy (AIE) and a past Vice-President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). He was appointed inaugural chair of the ATSE Energy Forum in 2007. In 2008 he was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, the highest award of Engineers Australia.

In 1992 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of services to energy and to engineering and in 2003 received an Australian Centenary Medal. In 2006 Martin Thomas served as a member of then Prime Minister Howard’s Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review taskforce known as UMPNER.