The South Australian Business Chamber Chief Executive, Nigel McBride, today made the following comments on the Citizens’ Jury report.
“The Citizens’ Jury on the potential of nuclear waste storage in South Australia was an extraordinarily complex undertaking. It can’t be compared to a reduction in the speed limit in the parklands which is what jury processes like this are best equipped to consider.
The lead organiser admitted this was the most complex and ambitious jury process they had ever undertaken. The report was rushed and the result is one that can’t fairly be regarded as conclusive because there was no way, in that time frame, that ordinary people without any kind of technical background could come to a truly informed decision.
The jury process should not have been about whether a green light was given to the project. Rather, it was whether or not we should move to the next stage of investigation, for example, a consideration of the actual economics of such a project.
That would have required a further and full investigation before any kind of informed decision could be made about that and many, many other issues.
I was concerned that the Citizens’ Jury process was heavily skewed with small organisations that had very strong negative agendas.
There was also insufficient time to allow the jurors to understand the complex issues involved in nuclear waste storage.
Communities usually take years to understand the benefits and issues involving a nuclear storage facility and to try and ram such a complex and nuanced issue into 40 hours by the Citizens’ Jury was simply information overload.
What we saw in northern Europe when we visited there earlier this year to see first-hand the work being done in Finland, France and the UK, was that education removes fear.
When people don’t understand an issue, fear prevails. I saw a lot of fear being leveraged by the naysayers on this issue.
Education, transparency and information dispel fear. There was not enough time, in my view, for that to occur, so people defaulted to fear. When in doubt, say ‘No’. I think that’s what we have seen.”
Media ContactSonia Bavistock
Media & Communications Executive
0477 006 475
soniab@business-sa.com
