School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Theses

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Type: Masters Research thesis × Start date: 2000 × End date: 2019 × Subject: Australia × Author: Hills, Stephen Charles Robert ×

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    Power, purpose and politics: a history of the Jervis Bay nuclear project
    Hills, Stephen Charles Robert ( 2010)
    Using the Jervis Bay nuclear power project as its centrepiece, this thesis examines the Australian Government’s attitudes and policies towards electric power generation using nuclear technology from the earliest beginnings as the technology was developed during the 1940s to the cancellation of the Jervis Bay project in 1971. It explores the key influences on this policy and examines the extent to which each had a direct influence in the planning of the Jervis Bay project, in particular: the demand for increased economic capacity, the possibility of a nuclear defence deterrent and the significance of Australia’s uranium reserves. The thesis interprets policy at a variety of levels, from the complex arena of diplomatic and strategic relations, to the responses of the public and the scientific community. This thesis argues that the Jervis Bay project was end product of a long and detailed policy development process, spanning over twenty years. Though the influences which shaped this development varied, the centre of this bi-partisan support for peaceful nuclear technology was always the goal that Australia would one day have commercial nuclear power plant. However, it will also demonstrate that such lengthy preparations are no guarantee for success. The project would ultimately be cancelled as a series of technological, economic and political problems conspired to undermine those careful preparations. As Australians continue to debate the possibility of introducing nuclear power, this thesis not only highlights some potential challenges in the introduction of nuclear policy, but also the challenge of gaining and maintaining support for any major national technology or infrastructure project.