FOR THE PRESS: 400.

AUSTRALIAN HELP FOR INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY. '

Statement by Senator the Hon. W.H. Spooner, M.M., '  Minister of State for National Development

Australian experts are helping the International Atomic Energy

Agency in its technical operations, and the Commonwealth Government

is contributing $10,000 to the Agency’s General Fund. ’  A  mining

engineer Mr. J.C. WEBB from the Atomic Energy Commission will leave

Sydney by air tomorrow to join an Agency mission to give technical

advice to a number of Far Eastern countries.

This was announced today by the Minister for National

Development, Senator Spooner,

This was a practical demonstration of Government support for

the Agency; which had been formed to promote the use of atomic energy

for peaceful purposes throughout the world, Senator Spooner said.

Australia had taken a leading part in the foundation of the Agency and

had been represented on the Board of Governors since its inception.

The Agency had now built up an effective organisation and had

begun to undertake a wide operational programme. One important part

of this work was the preparation of technical codes dealing with

radioactive materials and nuclear installations; a code had been

prepared on the safe handling of radioactive isotopes, and others were

in preparation.

The Agency was studying the problem of safe disposal of

radioactive wastes. Senator Spooner said that international action

was essential in this field because carelessness in one country could

lead to the pollution of the air, the rivers or the sea, and so affect

neighbouring countries. ,  ,

An important aspect of the Agency’s work was that of enabling

under-developed countries to share in the benefits of atomic energy,

by programmes of information, training and expert advice, Australia

fully supported this policy, and was one of a number of member States

which was contributing to the Agency's technical assistance programme

in cash or in kind, Ã¢ÂÂ   .

Australia had already offered fellowships which would enable

scientists nominated by other member States to follow appropriate

courses of study in this country.

Highly-qualified Australian experts in various parts of the

atomic energy field could give valuable technical advice to other '

countries. The Agency was organising a series of short-term

c technical missions to visit countries on request, in order to advise

them on various aspects of their atomic energy developments. .  These

missions were arranged according to the needs of the country visited,

and were usually composed of persons from the Agency's own staff,

supplemented as necessary by outside experts. .  Ã¢ÂÂ

/2.........

The preliminary mission to the Par East would visit Vietnam

this month, followed by Japan, Korea, The Republic of China and the

Philippines, and would take about 60 daysÂ·^ The object was to gather

information about progress in the countries visited# and to helpÂ· them

in assessing their requirements, advise them on the preparation of

programmes, inform them of the assistance they might expect from the

Agency, and help them to draw up requests for such assistanceÂ·

The mission would consist of six or seven experts to deal with

the following matters:-Training and education. '

Use of isotopes - mainly in medicine and agriculture.

Research reactors. .

Nuclear powdr problems. .  Â·  ‘  ,  .

.  Prospecting, mining and processing of atomic energy raw

materials.

Establishment of a general atomic energy programme.

The atomic Energy Commission had therefore proposed to the Agency

that its Principal Field Engineer, Mr. J.C. WEBB, should be included

to deal with prospecting, mining and processing of raw materials.

Senator Spooner said that the Director-General of the Agency had

replied that MR. WEBB'S qualifications rendered him particularly

suitable for inclusion, and had invited him to join the mission at

Saigon. ,

Senator Spooner emphasised that Australian participation in

appropriate missions of this kind would be of substantial value. Not

only would it contribute usefully to the work of the Agency, but it

would establish useful working contacts with the peoples of the

countries visited, and would enlarge mutual knowledge and understanding

CANBERRA. 14th MAT. 1969

