After seeing the Australian and Indian Prime Ministers shaking hands on a uranium agreement the Leader of the KAP and state Member for Traeger Robbie Katter has asked why Queensland can’t participate.
Australia and India have signed an historic Nuclear Cooperation Agreement allowing export of uranium from Australia to India. India used 1,884 tonnes of uranium in 2025, worth approximately $600 million.
“What a farcical situation we have, where on one hand Australia and India’s Prime Ministers are signing deals and shaking hands on uranium, while on the other Queensland’s government refuses to even utter the word ‘uranium’, let alone lift the ridiculous ban on mining it” the KAP leader said.
“India, Canada, the US, and 38 European countries are looking for secure supply of uranium. And while South Australia revels in its uranium mining, our government in Brisbane can’t even utter the u-word.
“The LNP have a wide-open opportunity to show they’re different to Labor on uranium, by lifting the ban and putting in place the necessary transport policies. It seems they’re keener to chase Brisbane votes though than embracing uranium wealth and jobs for the state,” Mr Katter said.
The known uranium deposits in Queensland are worth approximately $19 billion at today’s prices.
“I just don’t understand why we’re looking a $19 billion gift-horse in the mouth, when the treasurer is scrimping and saving for every dollar to pay for the Olympics,” the KAP leader said.
“The LNP have form in this space. In 2012, in response to KAP pressure, they took positive steps to develop the industry. But they put a drawn-out process in place, failing to resolve export and transport licensing issues. No green light was put in place by this effort.
“The Premier and his ministers will try to say lifting the ban in 2012 produced no new mines, but that’s highly misleading at best. They only did half the job needed.
“I had hoped the government had the intestinal fortitude to at least consider opening up uranium mining, but instead they are taking the weak option, ignoring a massive potential industry, and aligning with Labor to keep the ban.
“Frankly it’s embarrassing that only 40 km from Mount Isa there is more than 50,000 tonnes of contained uranium metal, and further up in the Gulf, another 20,000 tonnes, yet we’re not prepared to mine it while world leaders are knocking on the door to buy it from us.
“If this is a sign of things to come, the stagnation and decline of the state’s industries is clearly set to continue under the LNP just like under Labor. We expect better.” Mr Katter said.