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PRESS STATEMENT by the Minister for National Development

Ã¢ÂÂ

AA.EC LUCAS HEIGHTS RESEARCH ROLE TO BE REVIEWED .

.  The Minister for National Development,  Mr Kevin

Newman, announced today that a review of the research and

development activities of the Australian Atomic Energy

Commission's Research Establishment is to be undertaken

by the National Energy Research, Development and Demonstration

Council (NERDDC).

Mr Newman, said that the Government wished to ensure

that energy research and development activity in Australia

was stimulated and enhanced. The Government this -  year had.

established NERDDC to advise it on energy R & D matters and

had established a new program of financial support for

energy R & D. 'This financial year an. additional $15 million

was being made available to '-s-timulate increased energy R & D

activity in Australia.

The Atomic Energy Commission's research establishment

at Lucas Heights represented a high quality asset to the nation

in terms of facilities and skilled manpower. It was important

to identify and evaluate the scope, for a. broadening of the

Commission's research activities against the background of

the co-ordinated national energy R S: D program now being

developed through NERDDC". Ã¢ÂÂ

Mr Newman said that at present the role of the

Research Establishment was limited essentially to research

and development in the nuclear energy field. Because of ,

limitations imposed by the Atomic Energy Act, the AAEC has

been inhibited in developing energy research programs outside

the nuclear field, even where closely related technology and

concepts are involved,

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Mr Newman added that in a number of overseas Â·

countries multi-program research laboratories have been

established based on existing nuclear research facilities.

One significant example is the U.K. Atomic Energy Research

Establishment at Harwell,  whose scientific facilities and

expertise are now being utilised more generally for energy

research and development.

The Research Establishment at Lucas Heights would

continue to be the main national centre for research and

development into nuclear energy. It was essential for

Australia to continue to play its part in nuclear research

and to undertake sufficient research and development in

nuclear fields to be able to continue to assess the potential

importance to the nation of a 'wide range of nuclear technoÂ­

logical developments.  \ .  .  '

Mr Newman 'said that NERDDC had been established to

provide advice on the funding of energy research, development

and demonstration projects as well as on the overall coÂ­

ordination of the national effort: in energy research,

development and demonstration. The undertaking of the

review by the Council is a good example of the way in which

the Council can contribute to the co-ordination and enhancement

of future energy research, development and demonstration efforts

Ã¢ÂÂ¢  .  Mr Newman said that the review will be undertaken

within NERDDC. by a Committee convened by Mr J.B. Kirkwood,

the ’  Chairman of NERDDC. Mr Kirkwood is Chairman and Chief

Executive of the State Energy Commission of Western Australia. .

Other members of the NERDDC Review Committee will ’be Dr R. G.

Ward, General Manager, Research and. New Technology, B.H.P.,

and Dr J.L. Farrands,  Secretary, Department of Science. The

Review Committee will be supported, by a Secretariat located

in the National Energy Office in the Department of National

Development. It is expected that the report of the Review

Committee would be completed about /mid-1979.

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Mr Newman said that the staff of the Research

Establishment had been briefed on the proposed review

during his visit to Lucas Heights today. The review.had

the full support of the Commission and the research and

development staff of the Research Establishment.

The terms of reference for the review are

attached to. this statement.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

To examine and report on: ÃÂ Â­

Ã‘. .  The AAEC Research Establishment's present energy research and development (RSD) programs including details  of scientific and technical infrastructure and deployment

of scientific and technical manpower. This part of the  review to include: Ã¢ÂÂ

(i) the nature and priorities of the Research Establishment’s present RSD programs, including:

(a) the various f ields- of R SD;

(b) the reasons and need for each program x  in the various fields; and .

.  (c) the degree to which each program is

strategic, tactical or fundamental; Ã¢ÂÂ   -

Ã¢ÂÂ¢  (ii) the degree to which the present RSD programs:

(a) overlap with other Government sponsored RSD programs; .

(b) are related to similar international RSD  programs; and

(c) are required to continue to meet existing  international obligations;

(iii) the resources - both human (scientific and  technical), as well as physical (facilities and services) currently available for RSD within  :  the Resources Establishment including such

'  services as technical and scientific information, safety, medical and environmental,  computing^_and engineering and other workshops; -(iv) the managerial skills and capacity of the Research

Establishment:  -

(a) to handle and implement results from its  RSD programs including patenting and  licensing;

(b) to arrange and overview;  contract RSD,, .. Â·  V . .

B. The capacity of the Research Establishment to

re-orientate, as necessary, its RSD role and to deploy  both existing and new resources to meet the Government’s  energy policies and broader energy RSD objectives as  recommended by ASTEC and NEAC and accepted by the Government.   These policies and objectives include consideration of  Australia’s obligations to international bodies such as

the OECD, and the activities of the Commission in this regard  to be judged against the co-ordinated national energy RSD  program being developed through NERDDC. In particular the  following aspects:

Ã¢ÂÂ   (i) the decree to whi ch the present- energy R&D '  .

Ã¢ÂÂ   program should be modified, ’  .  .  -

(ii) the nature, form and size of any new energy RSD  Ã¢ÂÂ   programs that could be undertaken both in the

longer and in the shorter t e rms,  to meet the  .  Government's energy R&D priorities; .

(iii) the extent to which: ,  :  ‘

Ã¢ÂÂ   (a) energy R&D programs should occupy the

total BSD capacity of the Research .

.  Establishment; and

(b) the proportion of non-nuclear to nuclear .

(fission plus fusion) RBD in such a .

re-orientated energy RSD program, in both  :  Ã¢ÂÂ   1  the shorter and longer terms; ,

C .  The identification of any factors which could

inhibit any redeployment and use of AAEC Research Establishment  resources' in non-nuclear energy R8D activities including:

(i) the lack, of types and numbers of scientific and  .  technical experts and skills required; . Â·

(ii) the costs of renovating and modifying existing -

.  facilities at the Research Establishment to  .  match any such, redeployment; ’

(iii) the need for and costs of.any new facilities; ' Ã¢ÂÂ

(iv) the major time constraints involved in any such  deployment; .  .

(v) other constraints such as the existence of  -  competing non-energy RSD programs and. scientific/ technical services e .g ,  production of radioisotopes;

(vi) the need for changes in the Atomic Energy Act.

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