PRESS STATEMENT by the Minister for National Development

The Minister for National Development, the  Hon. Kevin Newman, said today that the Department  of National Development had been actively monitoring  developments from the nuclear incident at Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania, since the first reports of the incident  were received. .

The first detailed advice from Australia's  Atomic Energy Counsellor in the Embassy of Washington,  Dr. R. Knight, was received early on Friday morning  (Australian time).  Mr. Newman had spoken by telephone

to Dr. Knight in Washington.

Dr. Knight had assured the Minister he had  been receiving and was continuing to receive the  fullest co-operation from American officials and  was being kept completely informed of developments

at the nuclear plant at Harrisburg. .

A Chief Scientist with the Atomic Energy  Commission, Dr. J. Symonds, has been with the  Department since Friday to monitor and assess  information being received from the United States  about the nuclear incident. He had been ‘ in regular  contact with Dr. Knight. The Minister had, in

turn, been regularly briefed on the situation.

The Minister has also received a briefing  from Professor George, the Chairman of the Australian  Atomic Energy Commission on ..the operations of the  Lucas Heights reactor.  Professor George had advised

that there was no requirement to change the operations  at Lucas Heights. The Minister was advised that the  Lucas Heights plant was quite different from the  plant at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Canberra  2 April 1979

