Monash University Media Release
Support for nuclear power among Australians has fallen, with the numbers of people wanting to maintain Australia’s ban growing since Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced his nuclear power policy in 2024, the latest National Climate Action Survey shows.
The survey, in its fourth year and conducted by Griffith University’s Climate Action Beacon in partnership with the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub (MCCCRH), asked more than 4,000 respondents a wide range of questions on their attitudes to climate change, extreme weather and different energy options.
Griffith University Associate Professor Kerrie Foxwell-Norton and Monash University Professor Libby Lester were lead collaborators on the survey.
“The survey reveals that the logic of investment and risk in nuclear power is not passing most Australians’ pub tests. And according to the most recent CSIRO calculations, nor should it,” Associate Professor Foxwell-Norton said.
According to Professor Lester, the Director of MCCCRH, “The survey is a peerless, independent source of information about Australians’ climate actions, attitudes and beliefs as the nation – and the world – embarks upon societal transformations to a sustainable low carbon future.”
Among the key initial findings:
- More Australians want the existing ban on nuclear power to remain
In 2023, 51 per cent wanted to keep Australia’s ban on nuclear energy. In 2024, that had risen to 59 per cent. The numbers who were against bans on nuclear power fell from 34 per cent in 2023 to 30 percent in 2024.
- Women are more likely to want to keep the current ban on nuclear
When asked about keeping the existing Australian ban on using nuclear power, only 18 per cent of women were in favour of lifting the ban. In contrast, twice as many men (35.9 per cent) wanted the ban lifted. Two-thirds (66 per cent) of women wanted the ban to stay, as opposed to just 51 per cent of men.
- More people say risks of nuclear power far outweigh the benefits
Those who said the benefits of nuclear power far outweighed the risks fell from 24.5per cent support in 2023 to 22 per cent in 2024. Those who said the risks of nuclear power far outweighed the benefits rose from 21.9 per cent in 2023 to 26 per cent in 2024.
- Most respondents would not want a nuclear power station in their area
More than half (54.8 per cent) of respondents would be very or extremely concerned if a nuclear power plant was placed near them. Only 11 per cent said they’d be comfortable with a nuclear power plant nearby. Even fewer wanted a coal mine near them (10.8 percent). Conversely, people felt more comfortable with solar or wind in their area, with 54 per cent having no concerns with wind farms. This rose to 65 per cent for solar farms.
- Most Australians back financial assistance for coal mining communities to transition and for rural landowners to host clean energy infrastructure
Eighty-one per cent of respondents said they would support assistance to communities relying on coal mining, and 84 per cent supported the distribution of financial incentives to rural landowners for hosting clean energy structures.
- Support to phase out gas for all new homes and public buildings is increasing
Sixty per cent of respondents said they would support a requirement that all new homes, residential divisions and public buildings be powered by electricity, thereby phasing out gas appliances and heating, up from 59 per cent in 2023.
“Australians’ support for renewable energy sources like solar and wind show a nation ready to tackle carbon emissions and move away from fossil fuels,’’ said Associate Professor Foxwell-Norton.
She said the support for communities to transition away from coal mining was significant.
“The oft cited divide between urban centre and regional and rural areas where these coal mines are located is politically expedient, wedge politics. It is a politics that overlooks Australians and their relationship between places,” she said.
“With a reliance on land and seasons for productivity and livelihoods, changes in weather patterns and disaster events are felt acutely in regional and rural areas. Regional voters are more supportive of climate action because it is literally, their everyday experience.’’
The National Climate Action Survey samples 4,000 Australians each year and is the only climate survey in Australia that collects longitudinal data. The full results of the 2024 survey will be released in September. Previous reports are available here.
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China leads the world: Nuclear breakthrough. By Hua Bin in The Unz Review.
Does China lead the world? Is there a Nuclear breakthrough? What do you think?
https://www.bing.com/search?q=molten+salt+reactor&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgcIBRBFGMIDMgcIABBFGMIDMgcIARBFGMIDMgcIAhBFGMIDMgcIAxBFGMIDMgcIBBBFGMIDMgcIBRBFGMIDMgcIBhBFGMIDMgcIBxBFGMID0gEMMzg1Njk4NzNqMGoxqAIIsAIB&FORM=ANNTA1&DAF1=1&PC=HCTS
Let’s do a quick calculation here, based on the LNP estimate of $300 billion to set up nuclear here in Aus.
According to the ABS, there are about 11 million residences in Australia.
Now for some assumptions:
– it will actually be $300 billion
– they are all suitable for solar – they aren’t
– none of them have solar already – roughly 3 million already do
– all of the owners want solar – they don’t
– the $300 billion includes waste disposal and decommissioning – the LNP is pretty vague about this.
– all the proposed sites have adequate water available for cooling and there is no risk to local communities. This is uncertain at best.
$300 billion / 11 million = around $27000 per residence to subsidise solar installation
$300 billion / 8 million (removing those with solar) = about $37000 per residence
I know which one I’d vote for.
@Uncletimrob “$300 billion / 11 million = around $27000 per residence to subsidise solar installation
$300 billion / 8 million (removing those with solar) = about $37000 per residence
“I know which one I’d vote for.”
Which one? But that makes no sense. What are you comparing? Nuclear vs solar + battery?
Well solar + battery per residence will be far less than $37,000 or $27,000. Those are silly numbers anyway based on $300 billion. It is more likely to be $600 billion, doubling the per house estimates.
So I don’t see what you are getting at.
The fact that the short-sighted idiots in the LNP have NO PLANS and NO IDEA where to “dump” the highly toxic nuclear waste that nuclear power generates is a RED FLAG! Clearly, the environmental vandals in the LNP either do not know or choose not to listen to the FACT that nuclear waste is incredibly dangerous to every living thing within a 100 kms radius because it REMAINS LETHALLY RADIOACTIVE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS! What about that worrying, justifiable concern doesn’t the LNP understand or acknowledge? It just provides Australians further PROOF that the LNP don’t give a rat’s behind about the future of Australia or Australians in bequeathing this appalling, existential problem into the hands of our children (and their descendants) who will inherit this life-threatening legacy due to the short-sighted idiocy of the LNP!
Clearly the nuclear-power-obsessed LNP have not given ONE IOTA of attention or intelligent thought to SOLAR POWER! Australia is the sunniest continent in the world and, as such, we not only have the opportunity to invest in the safe, reliable and responsible use of SOLAR POWER, we have a responsibility to future generations of Australians to investigate, expand, develop and initiate the extensive, wider use of this reliable source of power in our lucky country! SOLAR POWER is not only CLEAN and GREEN, it is 100% safe to our environment and every living thing on the planet!
Too bad the LNP are a nuclear-obsessed pack of short-sighted political fools who have neither the foresight, ability nor intelligence to recognise it. This, among many OTHER reasons – especially in relation to the safe, healthy future of our children – is WHY Australians must ensure that the undemocratic fascists, misogynistic predators, self-serving megalomaniacs and nuclear-power-obsessed environmental vandals who take up EVERY seat in the LNP never rise to (mis)lead and (mis)manage our nation again!
Excellent article. Thank you.