Shadow Energy Minister, Ted O’Brien, says people living in and around the seven sites earmarked by the federal coalition opposition for nuclear power plants will have multiple opportunities to be consulted before reactors are built.

In an interview on ABC TV’s Insiders yesterday with David Speers (right at left in main picture) Mr O’Brien (far right at right in main picture) dismissed critics posting comical memes on social media about the coalition’s policy and promised a serious debate by outlining key elements of the nuclear power policy unveiled last week by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

However, Mr O’Brien said those key elements did not include the cost of the policy, the share of national energy output the coalition’s nuclear plants would generate, how the policy would impact existing private sector investment plans in renewable energy, nor any fallback position if a coalition government was constitutionally blocked from acquiring the seven existing powerhouse sites.

“Those are mere details which I don’t think should influence people’s votes on this issue,” Mr O’Brien said.

“As you know we in the Liberal Party have never ever believed that people should vote ‘no’ for any particular measure just because there are not enough details available,” he said.

Mr O’Brien said there would be scope within the seven promised nuclear plants for each to ultimately house multiple reactors.

“Logically this means there will be plenty of opportunities under our plan for communities to have their say about each of these nuclear reactors,” he said.

“If people in those seven communities don’t want a nuclear reactor in their backyard they can tell us before we build the first one at each plant.

“When they don’t get their way and the first reactor goes ahead, they’ll have another opportunity to tell us they don’t want the second reactor at the same power plant when we later decide to build it.

“Once again when they don’t get their way they’ll have another chance to oppose the third reactor in their community, and so on.

“So nobody can say we’ll be riding roughshod over local communities,” Mr O’Brien said.

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