[MEWifil I BY THE MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ND.35

NUCLEAR AGE IS THE LEETRIC AGE

T e n d e r  d o c u m e n ts f o r  t h e  J e r v i s  Bay n u c l e a r  power

p r o j e c t  S t i p u l a t e d  t h a t  " a l l  d r a w i n g s ,  d a t a ,  i n f o r m a t i o n

and c a l c u l a t i o n s "  m u st be i n  m e t r i c  u n i t s , t h e  M i n i s t e r  f o r

N a t i o n a l  D e v elo p m en t (Mr. S w a r t z )  s a i d  t o d a y .

"The s c i e n t i f i c  u n i t s  u s e d  i n  n u c l e a r  r e a c t o r  .

c a l c u l a t i o n s  a r e  m e t r i c  and so a r e  a l l  e l e c t r i c a l  u n i t s ,  so

t h e  use  o f  n o n - m e t r i c  u n i t s  c o u l d  o n l y  mean a  m i x t u r e  o f  two

d i f f e r e n t  s y s t e m s  o f  m e a s u r e m e n t  i n v o l v i n g  t r o u b l e s o m e

c o n v e r s i o n s , " Mr. S w a r t z  s a i d .

" J e r v i s  Bay w i l l  s e t  t h e  p a t t e r n  f o r  s u b s e q u e n t

n u c l e a r  po wer s t a t i o n s  i n  A u s t r a l i a  a f t e r  t h i s  c o u n t r y  h a s

f u l l y  a d o p t e d  t h e  m e t r i c  s y s t e m .

" I t  i s  o b v i o u s l y  b e s t  t o  a v o i d  t h e  n e e d  f o r  l a t e r

c h a n g e s  i n  s t a n d a r d s  w h i c h  would p r o b a b l y  n e c e s s i t a t e

r e p l a c e m e n t s  o f  c o m p o n e n ts and e q u i p m e n t .

" T e n d e r  d o c u m e n ts  w ere i s s u e d  t o  t h e  10 c o m p a n ie s

i n v o l v e d  on 2 8 t h  F e b r u a r y  1 9 7 0 , a s  p l a n n e d ,

" T h i s  was t h e  r e s u l t  o f  a c r e d i t a b l e  e f f o r t  on

t h e  p a r t  o f  t h o s e  r e s p o n s i b l e  f o r  d r a f t i n g .  The d o c u m e n ts

am o u n ted  t o  n e a r l y  4 0 0 p a g e s  and t h e  s p e c i f i c a t i o n s  had

t o  be s u f f i c i e n t l y  p r e c i s e  t o  e n s u r e  t h a t  A u s t r a l i a ' s

n e e d s  w i l l  be met y e t  w id e  en o u g h  t o  a l l o w  o f  d i f f e r e n t

r e a c t o r  s y s t e m s  b e i n g  o f f e r e d .  .

"The d r a f t i n g  b e g a n  i n  Decem ber, 1 9 5 9 , when a

t e a m  r e p r e s e n t i n g  t h e  A u s t r a l i a n  Atomic E n e r g y  Commission

and t h e  E l e c t r i c i t y  Commission o f  New S o u t h  Y/ales s t a r t e d ,

work i n  b an F r a n c i s c o  w i t h  t h e  c o n s u l t a n t s  t o  t h e  p r o j e c t ,

B e c h t e l  C o r p o r a t i o n .

. "The f i n a l  v e r s i o n  o f  t h e  d r a f t  was c o m p l e t e d  w i t h

t h e  h e l p  o f  o t h e r  Commonwealth d e p a r t m e n t s .

2 .

" I  l o o k  f o r w a r d  w i t h  g r e a t  i n t e r e s t  t o  s e e i n g  t h e

r e s u l t s  o f  t h e  t e n d e r s ,  w h ic h  c l o s e  on J u n e  1 5 . The

d e c i s i o n  on t h i s  c o n t r a c t  w i l l  be a  h i g h l y  s i g n i f i c a n t  one

i n  t h e  f u t u r e  d e v e l o p m e n t  o f  A u s t r a l i a . "

CAHBERRA, A.C.T

25 March 1970 .

