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SATURDAY8 JULY 23. 1964.

BOTANY BAY SAND-TRACING EXPERIMENT

Statement "by the Minister for National Development,  The Honourable David Fairbairn, D.F.C., M.P, !

Scientists from the Australian Atomic Energy Commission

will assist the Maritime Services Board of New South Wales in

investigations of the movement of sand in Botany Bay. .This

was stated today by the Minister for National Development,

the Honourable David Fairbairn, D.F.C., MiPc

The Minister said that the role of the scientists would

be to label samples of sand taken from Botany Bay with a radioÂ­

active isotope of gold and return the sand to the floor of the

Bay at selected locationsÂ» The subsequent movement of the sand

will be traced under water with highly sensitive instruments.

The radioactive gold will be prepared in the Atomic Energy

Commission’s nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights. .

Similar experiments have been conducted successfully

overseas in Great Britain, Denmark, Portugal and JapanÂ»Ã¢ÂÂ   .

The Minister said that the experiment had been carefully

considered and approved by ail authorities responsible ifor

safety. A detailed safety analysis has shown that the quantities

of radioactive material involved will be much too small'to pose

any hazard to the health of the public* Careful attention has

also been given to the possibility of any harmful effects on

private or commercial activities in Botany Bay. Skin-diving,

sunbathing, oyster growing and so on are a few of the activities

which have been considered and it has been demonstrated'

conclusively that the experiment will have no harmful effects

whatsoever on these activities. .

The Minister said that these radioactive tracer techniques

which are similar to those used successfully in the Hunter

Valley and elsewhere in New South Wales will provide information

which is essential to the successful planning of the large-scaler

development proposed for Botany Bay.

CANBERRA

July 258 1964 - A.M

