By Ian Lowe, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to the nuclear industry, through nuclear submarines (bipartisan support) or nuclear reactors (Coalition support). The Albanese government was quick to accept…
By Kylie Walker, Australian National University This year’s federal budget is making up for decades of lost time – both in our clean energy transition and in betting on new technological breakthroughs. The Future Made in Australia Act holds tantalising potential for building Australian science, research and development. The aim is to turn Australia into…
By Yasir Arafat, Edith Cowan University and Daryoush Habibi, Edith Cowan University As electric vehicle (EV) demand accelerates, so does the need for lithium batteries. But these batteries contain valuable critical minerals, as well as toxic materials, so they should not be treated as common waste. Unlike China and some European countries, Australia lacks a…
It is probably “quite a surprise to Australian manufacturers to find themselves as the centrepiece industry” the Ai Group has commented ahead of next week’s federal budget, though skills shortages continue to hold the industry back. In a research note published by the employer organisation this week, it takes stock of the manufacturing industry’s performance…
By Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel “through to 2050 and beyond”. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuel’s uses would change over time, as energy efficiency improved, renewables were firmed and emissions were…
What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) Boeing and Wagner join to manufacture and utilise sustainable aviation fuels Australian infrastructure, property development and investment management company Wagner has joined with Boeing to grow the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry to help meet Australia’s airline demand…
The federal government has launched its Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy, which will be phased in from July and initially see companies bidding for government construction services contracts needing to meet agreed sustainability outcomes, including products with recycled content. In an announcement from environment minister Tanya Plibersek (pictured on right) on Wednesday, two phases of the…
Consultation opened on Tuesday morning on the design of the federal government’s Solar Sunshot program, announced late last month. Sunshot is budgeted at $1 billion. It was announced on March 28 by prime minister Anthony Albanese during a visit to NSW Hunter Valley, which has a strong heritage in coal mining, pledging to “invest in…
By Greg Jericho Australia’s economy is less an advanced economy than it is a petrostate style simple economy. That needs to change The announcement that the government would respond to the USA’s Inflation Reduction Act with the “Future Made in Australia” policy was a long time coming but welcome all the same. But while critics…
What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading. 5) Sentient Vision to fall to foreign control in Shield AI takeover Optical detection and video imagery company Sentient Vision Systems is to fall into overseas control with a takeover by California-based Shield AI. Sentient previously collaborated with…
