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What is AUKUS?
AUKUS is a security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced on 15 September 2021. Under the deal Australia is set to acquire eight nuclear-powered submarines at an estimated cost of at least $368 billion over 30+ years, and share technologies and information between the UK, US. It is the largest spend on defence acquisition in Australia’s history.
This agreement is a military alliance for building nuclear submarines and stationing nuclear submarines here on the coastline for military influence in the Pacific and Asia.
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US and UK submarines to rotate off the Australian Coast with the Western Australian placements planned at HMAS Stirling, Perth
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Australia to buy 3 second-hand Virginia class submarines from the US in early 2030, and build 5 new SNN-AUKUS submarines in the shipyard in Osborne, Adelaide.
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Australia to store all nuclear waste from the agreement.
Due to the secrecy of the AUKUS deal, and the lack of independent or parliamentary review - a public inquiry has been established. The scope is broad covering cost, sovereignty, and nuclear non-proliferation.
Make a Submission here. Submissions close on Tuesday 1st September Midnight AEST
The inquiry accepts Audio, Video, and written submissions - It can be as short as you like.
What are the direct impacts to the Central Deserts and Arid Lands?
The Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) was established in Alice Springs in 1980 and has a long and ongoing history in supporting peace and anti-militarist movements, resisting nuclear expansion and speaking up for environmental and social justice.
ALEC is concerned about the local, regional, social and environmental impacts of the AUKUS deal. ALEC is concerned with 2 key points that have material, direct, and adverse impacts on the arid lands:
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The size of the AUKUS spend $368B+ positions war as increasingly a primary driver for the economy.
AUKUS fuels an economy of war, and a colonial logic of the arid lands as sacrifice zones.
The Arid Lands and First Nations people whose country it is, have repeatedly and violently been designated as sacrifice zones for every link in the nuclear supply chain, and an economy driven by global war. -
Under AUKUS, Australia must store all the nuclear waste generated by AUKUS in perpetuity, forever. This includes Low Level to High Level nuclear waste.
There is no plan where to store the waste. For many years communities across the arid lands have resisted being turned into nuclear waste dumps. Whenever people have said No to dumps on their Country or near their community they have stopped them.