23 January 2001

MORE NUCLEAR MATERIALS ON THE MOVE

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff has reitterated the New Zealand Government's strong opposition to nuclear shipments following news that a cargo of spent nuclear fuel from the Lucas Heights research reactor in Sydney is bound for France.

"New Zealand does not want any shipment of nuclear materials to come anywhere near our country, and certainly not into our 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ)," Mr Goff said.

The shipment is highly unlikely to come near New Zealand's EEZ as once it leaves Sydney it heads north to France.

The Minister said "We want proper systems of notification. We expect, as we do with other nations shipping nuclear material, the highest safety standards to apply. We ask that these countries accept full responsibility, including liability and compensation in case of an accident. Those views have been conveyed to the Australian Government."

The Lucas Heights reactor is involved in research in the fields of medicine and health, scientific research, the environment and industry. New Zealand sources radioisotopes from the facility which are used for medical puposes such as the detection and treatment of cancer.

The last such shipment from Australia took place in November 1999.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>