If a nuclear power plant that has long been touted to be constructed at Koolkhan, north of Grafton, is to proceed, the state or federal government would have to overrule a Council decision declaring the Clarence Valley a nuclear free zone.

Debate about implementing nuclear power plants in Australia ignited in June when federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton said the coalition would go into the next election promising to build 7 nuclear power stations, and the first sites would be operational between 2035 and 2037 – but the proposed sites didn’t include Koolkhan.

When he made the announcement, Mr Dutton said the federal government had the power to overrule local and state government decisions to pave the way for the ambitious nuclear power project.

At the May 23, 2023, Clarence Valley Council CVC meeting, a split 5 to 4 vote saw the Clarence Valley Local Government Area LGA declared a nuclear free zone.

The motion that council support the Climate Change Advisory Committee recommendation and declare the Clarence Valley Local Government Area a nuclear free zone was supported by Cr’s Greg Clancy, Bill Day, Steve Pickering, Jeff Smith, and Ian Tiley, with Cr’s Peter Johnstone, Debrah Novak, Karen Toms, and Allison Whaites voting against.

During the debate, Cr Clancy said it had been mooted that Koolkhan would be a good site for a nuclear power plant.

The now Mayor Peter Johnstone said at the time nuclear energy would not become an alternative energy source, it would be used to supplement other sources to avoid climate change.

When the CV Independent approached Cr Johnstone about a nuclear power plant being built at Koolkhan he said it is not really a Council matter, and any comments he made on social media on the topic were posted as Peter Johnstone resident, not as the mayor.

Koolkhan has long been touted as a potential site for a nuclear power plant, with speculation for more than a decade.

The potential site for a nuclear power plant located 10 minutes from Grafton on the banks of the Clarence River was home to the Koolkhan coal-fired power station, which was commissioned in the 1950’s and operated daily until 1979 when it was decommissioned and used as a storage facility.

A plan suggested by organisation Nuclear for Climate Australia envisages 18 nuclear power plants to be built around NSW by 2040, which would provide 20.1 gigawatts of capacity.

NSW locations for nuclear power plants in the plan are the North Coast, Koolkhan, Glenbawn Dam, the Upper Hunter, the Mid Coast (lower Hunter Valley), the Central Tablelands, Shoalhaven and Jervis Bay, Marulan, Burrinjuck, the Snowy region, the South Coast, and the Murray region.

The proposed Koolkhan site is promoted as being close to the north coast railway and the Motorway, on stable rock or nonrock foundations, with Clarence River water or evaporative towers used to cool the plant, but an extensive electricity grid upgrade would be required. 

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 24 July 2024.