The Australian Uranium Association was an Australian
industry trade group
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. Through collaboration between compani ...
which represented companies involved in
uranium
Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
exploration,
mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
and export. It operated from September 2006 until 2013, after which its responsibilities were absorbed by the
Minerals Council of Australia
The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) is an industry association, notable for representing companies that generate most of Australia's mining output. The MCA was founded in 1995, succeeding the Australian Mining Industry Council which was estab ...
.
History
From 2006 to 2013 the Australian Uranium Association acted as a national advocate for uranium mining and export and commissioned research and polling on uranium mining issues. Its predecessor, the
Uranium Information Centre
{{Unreferenced, date=December 2021
The Uranium Information Centre (UIC) was an Australian organisation primarily concerned with increasing the public understanding of uranium mining and nuclear power, nuclear electricity generation.
Founded in 1 ...
, was replaced by the Association in the same year of the AUA's foundation. The chairman of the Association was Rob Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer of mining company
Energy Resources of Australia
Energy Resources of Australia Ltd () is a public company based in Australia. It is a subsidiary of the Rio Tinto Group which as of 2021 owns 86.3% of the company. The remainder is publicly held and traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. The ...
(ERA) and its chief executive was Michael Angwin. Responsibility for the uranium portfolio within the Minerals Council of Australia was passed to
Daniel Zavattiero, a former senior executive with
BHP
BHP Group Limited, founded as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. BHP was established in August 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria.
As of 2024, BHP was the worldâ ...
's uranium business.
Membership
The Association had two full members (BHP and ERA), and 29 participating and associate members. Associates comprised all of Australia's uranium mining and export firms plus a number of explorers and project developers working to take the next set of uranium mines into production.
Nuclear industrial advocacy
The Association supported increased exports of Australian uranium for power generation purposes, arguing that
nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...
produces virtually no
greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
,
is a cheap alternative to coal and oil-based energy production and that if Australia becomes a major player in uranium exports it would be in a position to ensure adherence to international nuclear safety standards and the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperatio ...
.
The Association maintained that Australia has sufficient uranium to cater for one third of worldwide demand, and viewed restrictions on new mines as an issue affecting the nation's international competitiveness.
See also
*
Anti-nuclear movement in Australia
Nuclear weapons testing, uranium mining and export, and nuclear power have often been the subject of public debate in Australia, and the anti-nuclear movement in Australia has a long history. Its origins date back to the 1972–1973 debate ove ...
*
Gavin Mudd
Gavin M. Mudd is the Director of the Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre located within the British Geological Survey. He was awarded a Ph.D. in environmental engineering in 2001, from the Victoria University of Technology. Mudd's research inte ...
*
List of inquiries into uranium mining in Australia
*
Nuclear industry in South Australia
The nuclear industry in South Australia is focused on uranium mining, milling and the export of uranium oxide concentrate for use in the production of nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants. The state is home to the world's largest known single dep ...
*
Uranium mining in Australia
Radioactive ores were first extracted in South Australia at Radium Hill in 1906 and Mount Gee#History, Mount Painter in 1911. 2,000 tons of ore were treated to recover radium for medical use. Several hundred kilograms of uranium were also prod ...
*
Uranium mining in Kakadu National Park
References
External links
Australian Uranium AssociationWorld Nuclear AssociationAustralian Nuclear Free Alliance
{{Energy in Australia
Uranium mining in Australia
Nuclear energy in Australia
Mining organisations in Australia
2006 establishments in Australia
2013 disestablishments in Australia