Labor, Greens and Unions rally in protest against nuclear power in Traralgon

On Tuesday morning at Traralgon Centre Plaza on Franklin Street, a plump and ominous black nuclear barrel was inflated in front of a crowd of about 30 nuclear protesters.

The gathering, organised by the collective Nuclear Free Gippsland, was attended by multiple groups concerned about the Coalition's proposed nuclear site at Loy Yang.

The group had collected over 600 signatures from community members on a petition stating they did not want a nuclear power plant built in Gippsland.

During the protest the petition was delivered to National MP for Gippsland, Darren Chester, whose office is just down the road in Traralgon.

Dotted around the plaza’s lawn were yellow signs carrying messages, including from concerned community members and anti-nuclear supporters.

Wendy Farmer, a member of Nannas Against Nuclear, chatted to passersby about nuclear energy. Farmer said she enjoyed talking to locals about the possibility of nuclear power because she believes not many people know details about the policy.

Nannas Against Nuclear can be found out the front of Darren Chester’s office on Franklin street in Traralgon every Tuesday from 11:30am to 1:30pm. They knit while talking to locals about federal energy policy.

Charlie Phillips, a Just Transitions Organiser at Victorian Trades Hall Council, spoke to the Gippsland Monitor about union concerns around nuclear energy.

“The whole Australian union movement is united against Dutton’s nuclear plans to build seven reactors across Australia,” he said.

“We know that in the Latrobe Valley Dutton’s plan would deliver maybe 300 blue collar jobs for the nuclear power plant, and some construction work. Meanwhile the Victoria government estimates there will be 59,000 jobs in renewable energy over the next 20 to 30 years.”

Rally speakers included two Gippsland candidates, Labor’s Sonny Stephens and The Greens’ Rochelle Hine.

Stephens told the Gippsland Monitor that “being a former farmer from Cowwarr, I have a strong appreciation for the value of irrigation to the agricultural sector. That led me to look into what the water requirements would look like for a nuclear power plant, which are astronomical, and lead me to have major concerns”.

In an interview with the Gippsland Monitor Hine said “there are plenty of risks, Traralgon CBD is only seven kilometres from the proposed nuclear site, so if there was to be an accident, the whole of Traralgon would be in the fallout zone”.

The Gippsland Monitor went to Darren Chester’s office for comment, but the MP was not available.