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. It's not good enough," said Senator Ludlam.

Efforts to secure Act Of Grace payments for the victims of British nuclear testing will be stepped up after the British Government's disappointing response, Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

"I call on Foreign Minister Bob Carr to raise this proposal directly with his UK counterparts.

"Because of difficulties victims of the British nuclear testing were facing in the courts, I wrote to British Foreign Secretary William Hague twice making the case for ex gratia payments to Australians exposed to British nuclear testing in the 1950s and ‘60s.

Today's Paydirt Uranium Conference is a pre-emptive wake for the declining nuclear sector, Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said.

"With nuclear power in a terminal condition it is no wonder this year's Paydirt conference has been downgraded to a one-day event. The world uranium price has dived from almost $US140 a pound in 2007 to just over $US40 a pound today. 150 nuclear stations in Europe are scheduled for closure. All the spin in the world can't polish the nuclear industry.

On the 27th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, and with the sarcophagus around the ruined reactor falling apart, the Greens have thrown a spotlight on the declining uranium trade.

"The global economic crisis is delaying efforts to deal with the ongoing disaster of the ruined Chernobyl power plant. The sarcophagus built over the reactor has been crumbling for years. The neighbouring town of Pripyat remains abandoned and the surrounding areas uninhabitable due to persistent deadly levels of radiation almost three decades on.

The Australian Greens strongly condemned today's decision of Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to allow the mining of uranium in Wiluna, Western Australia.

The Greens nuclear policy spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, said the approval showed Labor could not be trusted to protect the environment or public health.

Question Number: 2685
Question Date: 5 February 2013
Question
SENATOR LUDLAM asked the Minister representing the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research upon notice on 5 February 2013: - Can the Minister confirm:
(a) the status of the Synchrotron Enterprise Agreement;
(b) the number and names of the parties to that agreement;

Negotiations to sell uranium to India that commenced this week must be abandoned immediately, said Australian Greens nuclear policy spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

The Australian Greens will introduce a bill to Parliament tomorrow to save the Great Barrier Reef from uranium shipping and being added to the World Heritage list of sites in danger.

"Premier Newman is considering shipping uranium through the reef and the World Heritage committee is warning the reef is being overrun with development," Senator Larissa Waters, the Australian Greens Great Barrier Reef spokesperson, said.

The Queensland Government's decision to pursue uranium mining breaks a promise by Premier Newman and will yield "all risks and no rewards", the Australian Greens warned today as a report on establishing the industry in the state was released.

Australian Greens nuclear policy spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said "uranium mining makes no economic sense and no environmental sense for Queensland".