Dylan Green, Candidate for Cunningham

The Greens Cunningham candidate Dylan Green condemns the federal government’s potential plans to make
Port Kembla a base for nuclear submarines.

Greens Cunningham candidate Dylan Green said adding more nuclear powered weapons to the world’s
militaries will fuel the risk of global war and embed his community in an arms race.

“As the threat of nuclear war rises there could not be a worse time for Scott Morrison to paint a large target on
Port Kembla and the Illawarra by making it part of the global nuclear weapons industry.

“Morrison is spruiking this as an economic opportunity, but war should never become an industry. Our public
money should be spent on addressing our biggest problems like climate change and inequality.”

“The Greens have a vision for Port Kembla that places the Illawarra at the centre of a sustainable, circular
economy. This investment is focused on renewable energy construction and supply, and the local industry and
manufacturing that flows from that.

Greens MP and NSW Senate Candidate David Shoebridge said this is not about keeping us safe, it’s the Coalition’s desperate ploy to use a khaki election to hide their incompetence on climate and Covid. Weapons of war should never be used as part of a political game.

“If Port Kembla did receive a nuclear submarine base, it would inevitably become a primary target for any hostile
attack on Australia," Mr Shoebridge said. "Both the Coalition and Labor should be honest about this when they talk up the plan.

“The nuclear submarine program will cost well over $100 billion dollars. Just the base infrastructure is $10 billion
for subs that will not even be in the water until 2040 at the earliest.

“The Greens would welcome a $10 billion investment that was designed to make the Illawarra safer, and that
means invest in green steel and renewables to fight climate change that is already destroying whole towns."