i

F O R  T H E  P R E S S

(R e le a s e d  o n ly  in  C a n b e rra )

D E P A R T M E N T  O F  E X T E R N A L  A F F A I R S ,

C A N B E R R A .

p r  6 8  ,

3 r d  J u l y ,  1966.

FRENCH NUCLEAR TEST H  THE PACIFIC

Commenting on th e  n u c le a r  t e s t  c o n d u c te d  hy F ran ce in  th e

S o u th  E a s t P a c i f i c  O cean, th e  M in is te r  f o r  E x te r n a l A f f a i r s ,  th e

Ã¢ÂÂ  : R ig h t H onourable P.M .C . Has lu c k , l . P . , s a id :

"The A u s t r a li a n  Government d e p lo re s  and r e g r e t s  th e  f a c t

t h a t  F ran ce h a s em barked upon a n u c l e a r  t e s t i n g  programme i n  th e

P a c i f i c  a r e a .

L ike o th e r  c o u n t r i e s  w hich have s ig n e d  th e  N u c le a r T e s t

Ban T r e a ty , A u s t r a l i a  c o n s id e r s  t h a t  th e  T r e a ty  s h o u ld  be u n i v e r s a l l y

a c c e p te d  and a p p l i e d . A u s t r a l i a  h a s  made c l e a r  on many o c c a s io n s  i t s

o p p o s itio n  to  th e  p r o l i f e r a t i o n  o f n u c le a r  w eapons and we have

r e c e n t l y  jo in e d  w ith  o th e r  n a t io n s  o f A sia and th e  P a c i f i c  a t  th e

M i n i s t e r i a l  M eeting i n  S eo u l in  d e p lo r in g  n u c l e a r  t e s t s  i n  t h i s  r e g i o n .

I n  company, a l s o  w ith  our ANZUS t r e a t y  p a r t n e r s  we have r e a f f i r m e d

o u r o p p o s itio n  to  a l l  a tm o s p h e ric  t e s t i n g  o f n u c l e a r  weapons c a r r i e d

o u t i n  d i s r e g a r d  o f w o rld  o p in io n  a s  e x p re s s e d  in  th e  N u c le a r T e s t Ban

' T r e a ty .

S in ce th e  F re n c h  Government h a s  p e r s i s t e d  i n  g o in g  ahead

w ith  i t s  t e s t i n g  in  th e  P a c i f i c , "  Mr H aslu c k  c o n tin u e d , " th e  A u s t r a li a n

Governm ent has so u g h t to  e n s u re  t h a t  a d e q u a te  s a f e t y  p r e c a u tio n s  a re

ta k e n  d u rin g  th e  t e s t s .  The N a tio n a l R a d ia tio n  A d v iso ry  Com m ittee

h a s r e p o r t e d  t o  th e  Government t h a t  i t  c o n s id e r s  t h a t  t h e r e  w i l l  be

no s i g n i f i c a n t  b i o l o g i c a l  h a z a rd s  f o r  A u s t r a l i a  a s  a r e s u l t  of th e  t e s t s .

The Atomic Weapons T e s ts  S a f e ty  Com m ittee h a s  expanded i t s

f a l l o u t  m o n ito rin g  programme a p p r o p r i a t e l y  i n  r e l a t i o n  to  t h e  F re n c h

t e s t s ,  and w i l l  be k e e p in g  th e  N a tio n a l R a d ia tio n  A d v iso ry  Com m ittee '

and th e  Governm ent in fo rm e d  of th e  r e s u l t s  o b ta in e d . As w ith  a l l  th e

d a t a  o b ta in e d  i n  th e s e  s u r v e y s , th e  r e s u l t s  w i l l  be p u b lis h e d  i n  due

II

c o u r s e .

