IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 5: Strengthening the Agency’s activities to nuclear science, technology and applications: Nuclear Technology review 2025
4 March 2025
Statement by Ms Marina Francis, Alternate Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Thank you Chair,
We reiterate our support for the Agency’s role in fostering research, development and enhanced access to the benefits of peaceful nuclear technology and recognise the important contribution the Agency makes in supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals.
Chair,
Australia has over seven decades of world-class nuclear science and technology expertise, particularly through the work of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).
Through ANSTO’s operation and custodianship of the OPAL multi-purpose research reactor, Australia has long-standing expertise in the production of Molybdenum-99, Lutetium-177, and other essential diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes for human health and cancer care.
We welcome the Review’s reference to the newly published Lancet Oncology Commission report, which underscores the significant global disparities in access to life-saving radiotherapy and theranostics for cancer treatment. The report, developed by Lead Commissioners Professor Andrew Scott from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and Austin Health in Australia, and Dr May Abdel-Wahab from the IAEA, reveals that while radiotherapy is essential for many cancer patients, equitable access remains a challenge with an alarmingly low number of radiotherapy machines and trained professionals available in developing countries. Access to theranostics is also restricted in many countries, and efforts to improve availability of radiopharmaceuticals is key to ensuring improved health outcomes.
Australia firmly believes the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative is crucial to addressing this, and we are pleased to have committed over 2.5 million AUD in support of this initiative to expand equitable access to cancer care in the Pacific. This is in addition to the numerous training courses, workshops, and capacity building activities Australia continues to host for the benefit of our region.
Chair,
Australia recognises that decommissioning and the safe dismantling of nuclear facilities is a critical part of a nuclear facility’s lifecycle. In December 2024 the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency announced its decision to issue a Facility Licence to ANSTO to decommission the High Flux Australian Reactor. The licence allows ANSTO to commence with the early stages of decommissioning, which includes the removal of the reactor’s six neutron beam instruments, two fuel flasks, rig support equipment, silicon storage blocks, the fuel assembly station, general utilisation equipment, and the control room. Further stages of decommissioning will require additional approvals from ARPANSA, and will include the decommissioning of the reactor circuits, content of the storage block, and reactor block.
This program builds on Australia’s existing expertise in the decommissioning of research reactors, with MOATA being the first research reactor in Australia to be fully decommissioned in 2009. We continue to welcome the support the Agency provides to its Member States in research reactor decommissioning and stand ready to share our expertise in this important area.
With these comments, Australia takes note of the Nuclear Technology Review 2025.