On 18th September 2026, the Australian Government initiated a public consultation aimed at updating the national Australian Radioactive Waste Management Framework published in 2018.
The process is to be overseen by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency (ARWA). The submission period has been extended to 16th November 2026.
Drivers for the revision include the creation of ARWA, the AUKUS defense agreement and the abandonment of previously shortlisted national waste facility sites such as Kimba in South Australia which attracted concerted community opposition as well as legal challenges from Indigenous traditional owners.
In relation to the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine agreement, Australia is committed to managing and disposing of all radioactive waste generated by these submarines, if indeed these submarines are ever acquired.1
Hence AUKUS necessitates the storage of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) which demands long-term security and costly, specialised below-ground storage facilities.
The recent AUKUS public inquiry report highlighted the lack of a designated domestic disposal site or a proven permanent repository model for AUKUS-generated HLW.
The report also emphasised that the projected cost of the AUKUS agreement, initially estimated at $368 billion, carries substantial unbudgeted financial and environmental burdens tied to nuclear waste burial and stewardship.2
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources expects to release the final updated framework in early 2027.
How to have your say
- Consultation Page: You can review the draft documents, including the Draft Australian Radioactive Waste Management Framework plus related discussion questions, and lodge a submission through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources Consultation Hub.3
- Background Information: Read more about the update on the Department of Industry Science and Resources News Page.
Nick Deane, convenor of MPG, has made a submission to the consultation. Refer to his Submission to the Australian Radioactive Waste Management Framework Consultation, Nov 6, 2026.
In addition, Peter Griffin from MPG has also made a submission. Refer to his Submission to the Australian Radioactive Waste Management Framework Consultation, Nov 13, 2026.
Notes
1. Criticism surrounding the AUKUS agreement have intensified in recent times. Chief among the agreement’s many potential problems is the very real possibility that the nuclear-powered submarines – the principal rationale for the AUKUS security pact – are increasingly unlikely to ever be delivered. Refer to Mark Beeson, ‘Abandon AUKUS: The case for independence’, Global Policy, Oct 8, 2025.
2. AUKUS Public Inquiry Report – The Commissioners’ Report of the AUKUS Public Inquiry is now available:
3. Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Draft Australian Radioactive Waste Management Framework, 2026. This consultation version updates the framework issued in April 2018.