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PRESS RELEASE

SENATOR PETER DURACK, QC < ,  DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION  IN THE SENATE SHADOW MINISTER FOR RESOURCES  AND ENERGY

3/86

It is now becoming clear that the Royal Commission into British   Nuclear Tests in Australia was a waste of taxpayer's money -The Commission/ presided over by former Labor Senator Hon. James   McClelland, was set up by the Hawke Government in July 1984   and reported in November 1985. The final costs of the Commission   have not yet been published but they will be of the order of

$4m.

The statement from London of the Minister for Resources and ;   Energy, Senator Evans, following his talks with British Ministers,   makes it crystal clear that the Royal Commission was unnecessary.

The Australian and UK Governments have now agreed to establish   a Technical Assessment Group, comprising Australian, US and   British scientists. This body will undertake field studies   and research and report on the options for and costs of a   clean-up of the former British atomic test sites in Australia.

This of course could have been set up in the first place by   the Hawke Government without the paraphernalia, delay and   expense in having a Royal Commission.

It is, and was, clearly a better way of proceeding if there are   justifiable concerns about the state of the former sites.

One of the recommendations of the Royal Commission was that,   yet another Commission should be established 'to be called the   Maralinga Commission.  Its function would be to determine .  .   what was required to be done to clean up the sites and to

oversee that operation.

The Government has wisely rejected this recommendation in   favour of a scientific approach and inter-government   negotiations.

The new approach by the Australian Government is likely to   produce a better understanding of what clean-up is required   and its costs than the Royal Commission managed to achieve.

Hopefully the new government approach will cost far less than   the activities of the Commission.

Hopefully it will also shed more light and less heat than   the Royal Commission proceedings and report.

Perth .

24 January 1986   Contact :  09/325 8005

REPRESENTING IN THE SENATE — SHADOW  MINISTER FOR DEFENCE. FOREIGN AFFAIRS A N D  TRADE A N D  SHADOW  ATTORNEY-GENERAL

