Barnaby's nuclear future not so popular | Letters to the editor

On the other hand, on the same day we have an actual esteemed expert in the SMH, Professor Ty Christopher, an electrical engineer with four decades of experience in the power industry, who is the director of the Energy Futures Network within the faculty of engineering at the University of Wollongong, outlining the utter ridiculousness of the Coalition nuclear policy, if you can call it that.

He outlines how the factors against building nuclear power stations in Australia ... are incontrovertible. He outlines his frustration saying, "when people ask me, am I anti-nuclear, I look them in the eye and I say "no, I'm anti-bullshit". And what we're hearing at the moment from the Coalition in terms of the timing and the costs of nuclear and where it fits into the energy grid ... it is largely bullshit".

Professor Christopher emphasises that "We need to pull back from all of this. Renewables are the cheapest. They are reliable enough for what we need, they are the best way to bring down customer bills, and they are the best way for us to decarbonise our economy".

Peter Dutton's claim that nuclear energy would lead to cheaper power bills has been rejected by energy experts, saying there was "no credible reason" to think adding "the most expensive form of bulk electricity" would cut prices.

Bernard Keane from Crikey is right on the money: "First the Coalition turned its back on a market-based solution to global heating. Then it rejected the idea of any climate action. Now it is working from opposition to sabotage investment in renewables. The Coalition's energy policy isn't really about energy or infrastructure at all. It's a culture war".

But we have Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals together with Peter Dutton and the Liberals playing political games and taking us for fools. Dutton and Joyce, men who were paralysed with fear of lack of details about an Indigenous Voice, provide a one-page media release for their half trillion-dollar nuclear plan.

Come on New England we are smarter than this ... don't get played ... it's all smoke and mirrors!

Denise McHugh, Hillvue

Makes my blood boil every time I hear someone say that our coal fired power stations are getting old. The reason they are getting old is because the bloody mongrels running the show allowed them to, instead of replacing major components or better yet, preparing to build a new one on the same site. There isn't a country in the world that is running their entire country on renewables. Why? Because it isn't reliable enough. They can't wait to close the power stations but are getting on their knees asking them to keep going until such time. That, to me, is scary and maniacal. They want to close something that has been 100 per cent reliable for something that isn't, rant over.

Phillip Jones, Moonbi

"What's missing from this budget is any indication that this government isn't looking towards our region's future." Seriously Kevin? What's missing is everything the Nationals promised over the last decade.

"Funding has been retained for the major projects that we've been working on for some time". Fifteen years is more than some time.

"This is a budget without a vision for our region". Don't stress Kevin, were used to that.

All the chest thumping about the Nationals involvement in Gunnedah Hospital, Port Stephens Cutting, Goonoo Goonoo Road (which by the way was at a Federal level so you should thank Barnaby, not yourselves) etc has resulted in common outcomes, nothing started or completed.

I see less photo opportunities has seen you ahh, umm, progress from TikTok to ahh, umm, nation news. Doesn't help. You continue to put your feet up, sorry, campaign, because you can now put the blame for our electorate's lack of progress on someone else.

Let's just reflect that. All the talk about Nuclear Power plants, keeping power stations running longer, powerlines going through Dungowan and the ever-rising power prices can be pin pointed to one event, the Privatisation of the NSW energy sector, state level and local level, by the National Party to stay in power, not to give us cheaper power as has been shown.

What do Renewable Energy and National Party Politicians have in common? They're expensive, very inefficient, and they don't last forever. Bring on the next election. As you were, Kevin 11.

Bob Snell, Tamworth

Here we go again, with Barnaby telling half-truths and deliberately ignoring the most important half. Making out that this is a 'one or the other' situation with nuclear or windfarms, Barnaby has conveniently left out the reality that Australia would need a lot more than seven reactors to run the nation.

What does he expect will be generating power while we wait the two decades it will take to build these reactors. Does anyone believe that we can build them faster than the USA or the UK, nations with knowledge gained from experience of their construction.

The Coalition expect taxpayers to pay to build the most expensive form of electricity generation, which will sell back to us the most expensive electricity, eh Barnaby?

No costings, no timeline and no details. Yet that is understandable as they haven't negotiated with the owners of the land or the state governments. They haven't chosen a design or even ascertained which type of reactor they wish to build or who will build it. They don't seem to have contemplated how government regulation and legislation will be enacted.

All these details, a concept that was vitally important a while ago when they believed that if we don't know, we should not support a plan. How is it that France is pushing ahead with solar and windfarms so that they can meet their 2030 emissions reductions obligations, while we think we can build nuclear power stations so we can renege on ours?

Andrew Brown, Nundle

I note the disappointment of Member for Tamworth, Kevin Anderson over the NSW Budget and I share his annoyance that while the Goonoo Goonoo Road upgrade is still in the budget it's not commencing soon.

I have always believed that the regions that showed loyalty to the previous government should have had that loyalty returned by prioritising projects for safe electorates like Tamworth. That included the Goonoo Goonoo Road upgrade promised by Kevin in government way back in 2019. Evidently, safe seats aren't a priority, but they still had plenty of funds back then too, from the proceeds of electricity privatisation. Not now.

Rather than commence the project expeditiously, Kevin gleaned two elections out of it and virtually re-promised the project again in 2023 with a flashy "early works" sign erected on the road. Now following the recent NSW Budget all he's "pushing for" is the commencement of a small section of the entire upgrade between Calala Lane roundabout and Craigends Place, to expedite access for a proposed Woolworths supermarket on land to the east of Goonoo Goonoo road. How underwhelming!

What we were promised in 2019 was the entire section between Calala Lane roundabout and Jack Smyth Drive. We've been short changed by both sides of politics, but the blame is squarely in the lap of Kevin who had ample opportunity in government five years ago to deliver this vital infrastructure for Tamworth. Voting has consequences.

Mark Rodda, South Tamworth

Scientists continue to warn that human induced climate change cannot be countered in an effective manner if our Federal Government continues to approve new fossil fuel projects.

Today the Australian Institute reported that Tanya Plibersek, Federal Minister For The Environment and Water, has given the greenlight for a Company to build 151 new coal seam gas wells in Australia.

Current Federal Government actions lead to much doubt as to where they currently stand in relation to reaching net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050.

Brian Measday, Kingswood, SA