On March 7, 2022 Australian Prime Minister, Morrison and Defence Minister Dutton (who just happens to be a local Member in Brisbane) announced Brisbane was one of the 3 likely sites for an Australian East Coast nuclear submarine base.
However Ben Smee, for The Guardian, reported, March 11, 2022:
"...Jellyfish expert Lisa-ann Gershwin, a leading marine biologist, says Brisbane is “close to the absolute worst place” for a nuclear submarine base, due to the conditions in Moreton Bay and the frequent jellyfish blooms.
In 2006, the US nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan was forced into an emergency reactor shutdown in Brisbane after it sucked more than 800kg of jellyfish into its condensers, hindering coolant from reaching the main reactors..."
See WHOLE GUARDIAN ARTICLE HERE
Pete Comment
An additional reason not to build a nuclear submarine base at the mouth of the Brisbane River is the mass of debris flowing into the base during that river's frequent floods. Such debris could be sucked up by a nuclear sub's reactor water coolant inlet.
I can't really comment on the jellyfish but the 2011 Navy report seemed to list several good reasons not to choose Brisbane. The shallowness of Moreton Bay means an SSN will have to approach along a restricted passage from the north on the surface for 50km.
ReplyDeleteBut for such a major long term decision surely there should be a thorough planning study with a public consultation process. Public support will be important. The location of the base will not be a secret. The selection process should be thorough, transparent and credible. We do this for everything else.
Defence has not exactly covered itself in glory on process in recent years. Secrecy for military technology is one thing. But secrecy for basic project management processes is unlikely to be in the national interest. More likely it is only in the interest of those trying to avoid accountability in case of error. We have had too many errors. We need accountable processes.
BASE CONSULTATIONS ACTING AS "WEDGE BAIT"
ReplyDeleteThanks Anonymous [at Mar 14, 2022, 10:03:00 PM]
Shallow water around Brisbane (and low tides) are certainly additional problems about a future Brisbane submarine base.
Another problem in siting a base in Brisbane is it is too far north, giving less warning time against Chinese bomber aircraft or Chinese island based missiles.
This is particularly if China, in future, has bases in islands (PNG, Solomons, Vanuatu or New Caledonia) relatively close to Brisbane.
Future Federal, Queensland State and Brisbane Local governments will be mindful that "public consultation processes" will be highly controversial and divisive.
Defence Minister, Peter Dutton, may be partly right in thinking money and jobs for his Brisbane electorate of Dickson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Dickson#Members will conquer fears and be good for his future careers.
"public consultation processes" will also act as "Wedge Bait" (you saw that phrase coined here first) outing Labor, Greens and other concerned politicians.
Regards Pete
Pete
ReplyDeleteI have seen public consultation done well on large infrastructure projects. It can include a public education process as well. The worst outcomes are usually when the politicians try to take over or run the process. That only antagonises people.
Defence doesn’t do it, but they should. Defending on the employment situation some options (e.g. Port Kembla) may have local business groups lobbying in favor of the base.
Hi Anonymous [at Mar 15, 2022, 10:09:00 PM]
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the from the top, the National Security Committee of the Australian Cabinet on the advice of our Defence Department
has decided that minimal public consultation is essential.
This would be in line with earlier international cases of nuclear energy being used for defence purposes - be it propulsion or weapons.
Two indicators already are:
1. No public consultation BEFORE Morrison announced the AUKUS submarine intention in September 2021 and
2. An extremely brief 5 days consultation period on the legally and technically complex Nuclear Reactor Information Treaty https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2022/01/parliamentary-committee-gave-only-5.html
Providing adequate consultation is tantamount to permitting the Australia publics' usual dislike of all things nuclear, to be heard.
Put another way, adequate consultation might kill the AUKUS submarine project. So why risk it?!
Regards Pete