February 3, 2025
National Party Leader David Littleproud has confirmed that the seven proposed sites for the Coalition’s nuclear power plants are “set in stone”.
In June last year, the Coalition proposed seven sites to house nuclear power generators: Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Mt Piper (Lithgow) and Liddell in NSW, Loy Yang in Victoria, Muja (Collie) in Western Australia and Port Augusta in South Australia.
At a doorstop interview in Canberra on Monday, Mr Littleproud was quizzed by a journalist about the Liddell site where owner AGL has foreshadowed other plans for the area.
“Our model is going as close as we possibly can to existing coal-fired power stations,” Mr Littleproud said.
“Now it makes pure sense for us to replace that coal-fired power station to a nuclear power plant. But so long as we possibly can get to where that coal-fired power station’s plugged in; that’s the whole idea of not littering regional Australia with transmission lines, solar panels and wind turbines, cutting down the need for new transmission lines and reusing existing lines.”
Reporter: “So the seven sites aren’t set in stone?”
Mr Littleproud: “They’re set in stone … basically there is land all around these coal-fired power stations.”
“We would prefer to be able to build it on it and we’ll work through those arrangements, whether they be with State-owned governments or organisations or whether they be with companies.”
Mr Littleproud repeated earlier assertions that a Coalition Government would use its powers to achieve its nuclear plans.
“Some of those assets are owned by government-owned corporations. So we’ll work with them,” Mr Littleproud said.
“But we will use our powers to make sure that we get on with the job of achieving this.”
Mr Littleproud said if the Coalition formed the next government it would have the mandate to make the changes to the energy grid.
“In the short-term that’s a lot more gas,” he said.
“Because we can’t get your energy bill down without pumping gas into the grid quickly. You can do that in 12 to 18 months if you create the environment for those gas companies to build in the long-term.”
He said the Opposition had taken a very detailed, fully costed model of its energy plan to the Australian people.
“If we’re given that mandate, we intend to get on with the job of doing it. Because the time for talk is over,” he said.
“We all agree we need to reduce our emissions. It’s just how we do it and the future regional Australia should have, but also the future you should have in reliable, affordable power.”
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