Bear vs Bull: Toro #Uranium project at risk. @SenatorLudlam #australia

Bear vs Bull: Toro Uranium project at risk

Australian Greens spokesperson on nuclear policy – Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam. 20 May 2013.

The tenuous financial viability of Western Australia’s first proposed uranium mine is the subject of a new research paper undertaken by independent market analysts Economists at Large, commissioned by Western Australian Senator Scott Ludlam and a range of environmental groups.

“The study shows that Toro’s proposed Wiluna Project may scrape into financially viability if absolutely every possible variable goes Toro’s way – but only if the company can avoid clean-up and decommissioning costs,” said Senator Ludlam.

“Most crucially, the numbers are against the company as soon as the cost of clean-up is factored in. Because the company has not submitted a costed mine closure plan or established where it will find the money to post a rehabilitation bond, the site looks to become an open-ended contamination liability for taxpayers.

“According to this study, if the most optimistic range of estimates for the world uranium price, exchange rates, capital and operating costs all go the company’s way, the Net Present Value of the project is positive. As soon as any of these variables slip backwards from the company’s optimistic assumptions, the NPV calculations turn negative.

“Nuclear power is in retreat in Europe and the United States, and the disaster in Japan has torpedoed expectations for a big nuclear expansion in Asia. We commissioned this study because we believed Toro was a risky proposition; the numbers bear this out, and explain in part why much larger uranium companies BHP and Cameco have mothballed their WA projects while Toro pushes blindly ahead. This study tells the investment community in black and white: buyer beware.

“The Greens believe this project will be an environmental disaster if it goes ahead; this report gives some numbers to the scale of the financial disaster that may await as well,” Senator Ludlam concluded.

The study can be downloaded here:

http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/bear-vs-bull-independent-assessment-wiluna-uranium-project

Contact: Giovanni Torre – 0417 174 302

Australian Government's mock "consultation" about opening Woomera to miners

Reblogged from Antinuclear:

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Government’s “consultation” on mining in Woomera more like a ram raid Australian Greens nuclear policy spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.  17 May 2013. The Federal Government made a mockery of public consultation by allowing three working days for initial submissions on opening up the Woomera Prohibited Area to miners, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

“On Wednesday 8 May Defence Minister Stephen Smith and resources Minister Gary Gray released the draft exposure of legislation to increase access to Woomera Prohibited Area to miners, and three working days later on 13 May the submission period closed. 

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@SenatorLudlam

Your Local Govt recognised in constitution? Local Communities Will be the Big Winners says @ChappleMLC

Robin Chapple MLC

Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region

MEDIA RELEASE

Local Communities Will be the Big Winners

17 May 2013

WA Greens spokesperson on Local Government and member for the Mining and Pastoral Region, Robin Chapple MLC, today urged widespread support for the referendum on constitutional recognition of Local Government.

“I call on all sections of the community to get behind this long overdue reform, which will streamline our system by cutting out the middleman. Local governments throughout my electorate, and indeed across the state, have consistently lobbied me for support in moving to upgrade recognition of this most important tier of government.

“It’s hard to overstate the importance of a strong and vibrant local government sector to the community at large. They deliver a vast range of vital infrastructure and community programmes on a daily basis, right at people’s doorsteps.

“It is virtually impossible to get a referendum through – even with bi-partisan support. With the Abbott opposition offering only lukewarm support, prospects are even bleaker.

“I had hoped for a bit of leadership from WA on this issue, but after having sat on the fence for far too long, the Premier has now slipped into his default anti-Canberra position.

“The central issue here is financial security – why should councils have to line up, cap-in-hand, with their funding dependent on the whim of the state government of the day? Just this week, the Treasurer and Premier have been setting off the alarm bells, with dire warnings of further funding cuts.

“It is not widely recognized what is at stake here if this referendum was to fail – a whole range of Commonwealth funded projects would continue to have the sword of Damocles, in the form of state government interference, hanging over them.

“Future projects such as the recently completed Swan Regional Riverside Park, Champion Lakes Regatta Centre in Armadale and a tourist and information centre for the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley will be far less likely to proceed without the certainty of this constitutional change.

“At a statewide level, the Roads to Recovery scheme, which provides desperately needed roads upkeep in the regions, will be under constant threat.

For more information please contact Robin Chapple on

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9486 8255

All the best

Robin Chapple MLC

Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region

PO Box 94, West Perth WA 6872

41 Havelock Street, West Perth. WA 6005

Phone: Robin.Chapple | Freecall: 1800 138 610 | WEB: http://robinchapple.com/

Our office provides a facility for members of the public to ask their own Parliamentary Questions through my website at http://www.robinchapple.com/ask-question. Questions on Notice are preferred, instructions and templates are provided.

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#Perth ER Conference & Free Training on DivERsity from @wacoss

2013 ER Conference DivERsity: People, Places and Services. Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th May Free training Monday 27th and Thursday 30th The countdown is on to the 2013 ER Conference – DivERsity: People, Places and Services. Registrations close next Tuesday 21st May and places are limited - please register early as we don’t want you to miss out. The conference is being held on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th May 2013 at The Salvation Army, Northbridge. The theme of the 2013 conference will focus on DivERsity: diversity in the way services assist those who are vulnerable in times of financial crisis and hardship, the diversity of services across the State and the environments in which they operate, and most importantly the diversity among people – the volunteers, workers and those using the services. Thanks to the generous support of Lotterywest we are able to offer subsidies to individuals and organisations who may not be able to meet the full cost of registration. Subsidies are also available for travel and accommodation to individuals and organisations in regional, rural and remotes areas and we strongly encourage those individuals and organisations to consider attending the conference. Registration and requests for subsidies can be made through the WACOSS website at http://www.wacoss.org.au/ERConference2013. Free Training Available These additional free training workshops are funded by the Department of Families, Community Services, Housing and Indigenous Affairs. This is a great opportunity for regional services to access training while in Perth for the Conference. It is not a requirement to attend the conference to register for these workshops, however we would strongly encourage conference attendance to complement the knowledge and skills gained at the training Subsidies are available to support extended stays for regional participants attending the Conference. Click here for more details. Emergency Relief Essentials – Mon 27th May Educating Clients about Budgeting – Mon 27th May Communicating and Connecting with Aboriginal Clients – Wed 29th May Working with Clients from Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds – Wed 29th May Emergency Relief Essentials – Mon 27th May – FREE! If you work or volunteer in an Emergency Relief (ER) Service, or work closely with ER services, then this course if for you. This training has been funded to be run in conjunction with the Emergency Relief Conference (28 – 29 May). If you are involved in, or work with an ER services you are welcome to attend. Click here for more information or to register. Educating Clients about Budgeting – Mon 27th May – FREE! Sometimes clients get into financial hardship as a result of limited budgeting skills. This course will provide a great overview of what is involved in effectively teaching others about budgeting skills. This training has been funded to be run in conjunction with the Emergency Relief Conference (28 – 29 May). If you are involved in, or work with an ER services you are welcome to attend. Click here for more information or to register. Communicating and Connecting with Aboriginal Clients – Wed 29th May – FREE This course will provide participants with a deeper appreciation of Aboriginal culture, Australian history that has impacted on Aboriginal people and will give strategies for working effectively and respectfully with Aboriginal clients. This training has been funded to be run in conjunction with the Emergency Relief Conference (28 – 29 May). If you are involved in, or work with ER services, you are welcome to attend. Click here for more information or to register. Working with Clients from Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds – Wed 29th May – FREE! This course will deepen your understanding of CALD people and needs and will focus on the Muslim faiths and Islamic cultures and include a number of guest speakers who will share their fascinating stories and explain their cultural perspectives and needs. This training has been funded to be run in conjunction with the Emergency Relief Conference (28 – 29 May). If you are involved in or work with an ER services you are welcome to attend. Click here for more information or to register.

Mining companies now fear activist shareholders

Reblogged from Antinuclear:

Now they rate community opposition among the top risk factors.”

Activist shareholders represent victims of international mining projects, Global Post, Kari LydersenMay 14, 2013  

Persistent monitoring of corporations like Anglo American and Rio Tinto has earned a greater voice for affected communities. LONDON — Angela Paine has been going to Rio Tinto shareholder meetings for decades. She’s part of a group called Partizans, which since 1978 has brought indigenous people from around the world to the mining giant’s meetings using proxy shares.

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This is really important if we want enterprise to serve the community and not just the bottom line :o)

60 top Indian scientists unhappy about safety issues in Kudankulam nuclear power plant

Reblogged from Antinuclear:

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Top scientists express safety concerns over Kudankulam nuclear plant NDTV,  by Pallava Bagla, Edited by Mala Das  : May 14, 2013  New Delhi: Sixty of the country's leading scientists have written to chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, expressing safety concerns over the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant which received the Supreme Court's nod earlier this month. The scientists, most of who aren't specialists in nuclear energy, have sought a safety review of the plant by an "independent panel" of experts.

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Fukushima Fisheries oppose TEPCO's plan to discharge radioactive water to the sea

Reblogged from Antinuclear:

Fukushima fisheries associations turned down Tepco’s discharging ground water http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/05/fukushima-fisheries-associations-turned-down-tepcos-discharging-ground-water/  by Mochizuki  May 13th, 2013 ·  
On 4/26/2013, Fukushima Diary reported “Tepco is about to discharge pumped ground water to sea, “They won’t remove 21,000 Bq/m3 of Tritium” ”
According to Tepco, they are ready to discharge pumped ground water to the sea.

Currently 400 tones of ground water flows to the plant everyday.

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