Let that sink in for a moment.
This is the amount the Albanese Government will spend if the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal progresses as planned—in the middle of a cost of living, nature and climate crisis.
This dangerous and expensive deal didn’t have public input and didn’t go before Parliament. This lack of scrutiny is unacceptable, considering the vast use of public money and the wide-ranging implications of the plan.
For decades, we’ve campaigned for a nuclear-free future. We know nuclear technology is expensive, dirty, dangerous and completely inappropriate for Australia.
That’s why we think this money should be used to protect and restore nature across the country. To future-proof us against escalating climate impacts. To ensure our precious creatures survive and thrive. To assist communities impacted by fire, flood, drought, storms, and poverty.
Instead of spending $368 billion on nuclear submarines, let’s spend:
- $1.69 billion annually to reverse the extinction crisis in Australia.
- $2 billion annually to restore rainforests, deserts and grasslands.
- $4 billion on a national conservation and land management program to control invasive species.
- $10 million in the 2023-24 Budget towards the Net Zero Economy Taskforce to develop a National Renewable Exports Strategy which will grow a range of renewable-powered industries, unlock investment and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
- And we’d still have billions of dollars left over for defence, health, education, First Nations justice and to stop rising levels of poverty.
National defence is of course essential but these submarines are a mistake that risk increasing pressure on Australia to further expand nuclear industries, impacts and dangers.
We also know the high-level waste that is produced by these submarines would last for many tens of thousands of years. Storage of this waste is costly and complicated and would target First Nations and rural communities. Our AUKUS partners have not solved their high-level radioactive waste problems and there is no confidence that we could.
Nuclear technology leaves a toxic legacy for generations.
Share your concerns with the Prime Minister on the AUKUS deal and our demands that the government rule out:
- Domestic nuclear power in Australia
- Australia acquiring, or facilitating the use of nuclear weapons
- Australia becoming an international high-level nuclear waste dump
