Danna Vale (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to correct the outrageous and irresponsible comments made yesterday by the member for Fowler regarding the research reactor at Lucas Heights in my electorate. Her uninformed comments related to some minor production incidents last week in the radiopharmaceutical production laboratory at ANSTO. Regrettably, not only were the member’s comments uninformed but they were hysterical, as is wont to occur when one speaks out of ignorance for the purpose of political scaremongering.

Yesterday, the member stated her concern about a ‘series of Lucas Heights reactor leaks’. This was nothing short of a disgraceful, irresponsible misrepresentation. It was irresponsible and lazy because, as a member of parliament, the member could have at least put a little effort into researching the issue—except her crass political opportunism and prejudice got in the way of the truth. Before my constituents take any alarm from her statement they should be made aware that the member does not have any qualifications in science whatsoever. In fact, her only qualifications are typical of a Labor member: a union hack with little relevance to the wider contemporary Australian community.

Contrary to the member’s statement yesterday, there have been no leaks from the research reactor, a fact that the member could have verified with very little effort. There were four minor production incidents last week, none at the reactor. All were very minor—in fact, all were  significantly less than the regulatory reporting standards required by the independent regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, otherwise known as ARPANSA.

As openly reported by ANSTO to the Minister for Education, Science and Training and to the media, the first incident concerned the rupture of a small production pipe in the radiopharmaceutical production unit, which released a puff of gas that measured a fraction against the naturally occurring background radiation. The radiation from this tiny discharge measured 0.05 micro-sieverts, against a normal background of 2,000 microsieverts per year measured at 1.6 kilometres downwind. By far the most concern of ANSTO staff rightly focused on the interruption of the vital production of molybdenum-99, which is used in the production of nuclear medicine.

Approximately 500,000 Australians benefited from the provision of nuclear medicine last year. I understand that ANSTO was able to import sufficient molybdenum to supply about 55 per cent of the current Australian medical demand last week. Further imports are expected this week and I understand that ANSTO anticipates meeting all of Australia’s nuclear medicine needs soon thereafter.

The other three incidents last week were as follows. On Wednesday morning, 14 June, a worker received a low radiation dose from iodine-123, which is used in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. This product was produced at the national medical cyclotron near the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and was shipped to Lucas Heights for packaging for patient use. Upon assessment it was revealed that the worker received four per cent of the annual limit for radiation workers and significantly less than a patient would receive getting a nuclear scan. The worker did not need to have any treatment and has returned to work. On Thursday morning, 15 June, another worker contaminated his shoes and trousers when he dropped a vial containing an amount of technetium-99m. I am advised that his skin was not contaminated and the clothing was cleaned. His personal dosimeter revealed that he had not received any dose in excess of that which he would expect to receive during his normal work. On Thursday afternoon, 15 June, a worker at the national medical cyclotron near the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was cleaning waste in a thallium-201 production area when a pack of radioactive material burst. A small splash found its way beneath his safety glasses and into his eye. The worker attended the emergency department of the hospital to have his eye washed. Indications are that he received much less than one per cent of the annual dose limit for the eye but, since there were chemicals involved, the worker has since visited an eye specialist.

The member for Fowler may not be aware of the responsibility of ARPANSA, an organisation for which I willingly accept either the blame or the credit, depending on one’s philosophical point of view. This agency is an independent scientific oversight body whose role is to oversight all of the Commonwealth’s nuclear activity and is separate and distinct from ANSTO. ARPANSA is accountable to the Minister for Health and Ageing whereas ANSTO is accountable to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. This organisation exists as a very important resource for the government, for our local Sutherland Shire Council and for the Liverpool City Council. It provides an assurance for my constituents as to the exercise of world’s best practice at ANSTO.

Finally, if it would assist the member for Fowler, I would be delighted to arrange a full briefing for her on site at ANSTO. I am sure she would find the experience edifying. There is a great cure for ignorance—it is called knowledge. Regrettably, there is no cure at all for ideological prejudice.