e 7 ' \

M IN ISTER FOR RESOURCES AND ENERGY  SENATOR GARETH EVANS Q.C.

15 October 1985

93/85 Ã¢ÂÂ

AUSTRALIAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION TO BE REPLACED

The Government has decided to introduce three Bills to:

.  replace the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC)

with a new Australian Nuclear Science and Technology

Organisation (ANSTO),  and

.  repeal outmoded and offensive provisions of the Atomic

Energy Act- 1953.

The basic aim of the legislation is to create an

organisation which reflects the HawkeÃ¢ÂÂ Government's policy

on nuclear activities. ANSTO's functions will reflect the

realignment of these activities away from work on the

nuclear fuel cycle (which was the objective of the Atomic

Energy Act) towards greater emphasis on peaceful

applications of radioisotopes and .radiation.

The principal functions of ANSTO will be to undertake

research and development in:

.  nuclear science and technology,  in line with

Government policy,  and

.  the production, and use of radioisotopes and radiation

for medicine,  science,  industry, commerce and

agriculture.

- 2-

O t h e r  f e a t u r e s  o f  t h e  n e w  o r g a n i s a t i o n  i n c l u d e :

. a 7 m e m b e r  E x e c u t i v e ,  a m a j o r i t y  of w h o s e  m e m b e r s  w i l l

c o m e  f r o m  o u t s i d e  A N S T O

. a n  a d v i s o r y  c o u n c i l  o f  u p  to 11 m e m b e r s ,  a g a i n  w i t h  a

m a j o r i t y  o f  m e m b e r s  f r o m  o u t s i d e  A N S T O ,  t o  p r o v i d e

i n d e p e n d e n t  a d v i c e  t o  t h e  E x e c u t i v e  a n d  t h e  M i n i s t e r

f o r  R e s o u r c e s  a n d  E n e r g y ,  a n d

. a n e w  N u c l e a r  S a f e t y  B u r e a u  w i l l  be r e s p o n s i b l e  to m e

f or m o n i t o r i n g  t h e  s a f e t y  o f  t h e  t w o  r e a c t o r s  at L u c a s

H e i g h t s .  (The p r e s e n t  u n i t  w i t h  t h i s  f u n c t i o n  r e p o r t s

to t h e  A A E C .)

T h e  s t r u c t u r e  o f  the" E x e c u t i v e  a n d  C o u n c i l  a r e  a i m e d  at

e n s u r i n g  A N S T O  c a r r i e s  o u t  i t s  f u n c t i o n s  to b e s t  m e e t  t h e

r e a l  n e e d s  o f  A u s t r a l i a n  i n d u s t r y  a n d  in a s  c o m m e r c i a l  a

w a y  a s  p o s s i b l e .

A  s e c o n d  B i l l  w i l l  r e p e a l  a l l  t h e  o f f e n s i v e  a n d  o u t m o d e d

p r o v i s i o n s  o f  t h e  A t o m i c  E n e r g y  A c t .  T h a t  A c t  is a

c r e a t u r e  o f  the. C o l d  W a r  a n d  h a s  s e v e r a l  s e c t i o n s

p r o v i d i n g  d r a c o n i a n  p e n a l t i e s  w h i c h  a r e  o u t  o f  a l l

p r o p o r t i o n  to t h e  o f f e n c e s  t o  w h i c h  t h e y  a p p l y .  T h e  A c t

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

T h e  o n l y  a r e a s  o f  t h e  A c t  to be r e t a i n e d  w i l l  b e  t h o s e

c o v e r i n g  t h e  R a n g e r  p r o j e c t  a n d  C o m m o n w e a l t h  t i t l e  t o

u r a n i u m  in t h e  N o r t h e r n  T e r r i t o r y  a n d  t h e  r e q u i r e m e n t  to

r e p o r t  d i s c o v e r i e s  o f  u r a n i u m  a n d  t h e  p r o d u c t i o n  o f

y e l l o w c a k e .

T h e  t h i r d  B i l l  m a k e s  a r r a n g e m e n t s  f or t h e  t r a n s i t i o n  f r o m

t h e  A A E C  to A N S T O .  .

- 3 -

T h e  B i l l s  w i l l  b e  f o r m a l l y  i n t r o d u c e d  e a r l y  in N o v e m b e r

a n d  l e f t  t o  l i e  o n  t h e  t a b l e  to a l l o w  f u l l  p u b l i c

c o n s i d e r a t i o n  b e f o r e  t h e y  a r e  d e b a t e d  n e x t  y e a r .

A  f u r t h e r  B i l l  o n  n u c l e a r  m a t t e r s  is in p r o c e s s  o f

p r e p a r a t i o n  a n d  l i k e l y  a l s o  to b e  i n t r o d u c e d  t h i s  S e s s i o n

f or d e b a t e  n e x t  y e a r . I t  w i l l  g i v e  d o m e s t i c  l e g i s l a t i v e

e f f e c t  t o  A u s t r a l i a ' s  i n t e r n a t i o n a l  n o n - p r o l i f e r a t i o n

o b l i g a t i o n s  a n d  p r o v i d e  a l e g i s l a t i v e  b a s i s  for t he

o p e r a t i o n s  o f  t h e  A u s t r a l i a n  S a f e g u a r d s  O f f i c e .

:  * * * * * *

CANBERRA

