Coalition’s plan for nuclear energy

By federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton

Every Australian deserves and should expect access to cheaper, cleaner and consistent electricity.

This is why Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last week announced that a future federal Coalition government will introduce zero-emissions nuclear energy in Australia.

Nuclear energy has proven to get electricity prices and emissions down all over the world, to work in partnership with renewable energy and gas as part of a balanced energy mix.

A key advantage of modern zero-emissions nuclear plants is they can be plugged into existing grids. This means they can effectively replace retired or retiring coal plants and avoid much of the new spending needed for Labor’s ‘renewables-only’ system.

As part of our plan, the Coalition has announced seven locations, at power stations that have closed or are scheduled to close, where we propose to build zero-emissions nuclear power plants.

Each of these locations, including Liddell and Mount Piper power stations in New South Wales, offer important technical attributes needed for a zero-emissions nuclear plant, including cooling water capacity and transmission infrastructure, that is, we can use the existing poles and wires, along with a local community which has a skilled workforce.

Our plan will deliver a net-zero electricity grid by 2050 and a strong and resilient economy.

It will set our country up for decades to come.

National roads survey

I’m calling on residents of the Parkes electorate to nominate a road or intersection in need of upgrade by completing a national road survey, launched this month by Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tony Pasin.

Labor has allowed the national road network to fall into disrepair with billions of dollars in funding cuts and delays since coming into government.

Roads throughout the Parkes electorate aren’t receiving the maintenance and upgrades they need, and the impacts of these funding cuts – particularly to our local councils – are being felt by road users and residents.

As someone who regularly travels across hundreds of kilometres within the Parkes electorate, I know first-hand how terrible some parts of the road network have become.
I encourage residents to shine a light on the condition of our roads by taking part in a national survey.

The survey will be open until 5pm on August 30, 2024.

Gunnedah, Moree and Narrabri visits

Last week I enjoyed catching up with the councils, constituents and various community groups in Gunnedah, Narrabri and Moree.

I caught up with a number of community groups that have recently received Volunteer Grants, including Gunnedah Rural Museum ($1500), Gunnedah Meals on Wheels ($1000), Gunnedah Pony Club ($5000), 1st Narrabri West Scouts ($1000) and Narrabri Meals on Wheels ($2000).

Each of these groups will use their funding for fuel vouchers or new equipment that will make it easier for their volunteers to continue the great work they do in the community.

I met with the mayors and/or deputy mayors of Gunnedah Shire Council, Narrabri Shire and Moree Plains Shire Council to discuss a range of issues such as the Narrabri gas pipeline and the Inland Rail, as well as the exciting projects they’ve got coming up, including the redevelopment of the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre and the Narrabri Tourism and Cultural Precinct.

In Gunnedah, I visited Allawah House – a crisis accommodation for women, children and pets escaping domestic violence.

It was opened by Jobs Australia in 2022 and has been full ever since. Sadly, the team are now turning women away weekly.

Jobs Australia is hoping to build a second cottage on the same site to help ease the demand and I am committed to doing what I can to help secure funding for this much-needed expansion.

Also in Gunnedah, I met with Tim MacKellar from Mackellar Resources who is looking into establishing a solar panel recycling industry in Gunnedah which would create some exciting opportunities for the region and the wider electorate.

Solar panels are becoming increasingly important with the current shift towards renewable energy, however, one of the biggest issues we’ll face is what to do with the solar e-waste when these panels reach their end of life.

It’s people like Tim and electorates like ours that can help lead the way when it comes to developing innovative solutions for renewables, and I look forward to seeing how this develops over the coming years.