Should Australia invest funds and resources in developing Generation IV nuclear reactors?

None of these submissions discussed the proposed reactors or provided any evidence for those claims.

Oscar Archer's submission did provide some information on reactor types, and even a favourable nod to renewable energy. He concluded, in rather a leap of logic, that

…only these deployable nuclear technologies can enable decarbonisation beyond electricity, by displacing conventional industrial heat sources.

And he recommends the GIF Framework agreement, because:

…it will serve to build expertise that should be vital when the time comes for Australia to take its next big step with regard to nuclear technology.

It was a kind of a relief to come upon Ben Heard's submission. At least he provided some passion and real enthusiasm for the nuclear cause. He expressed his concern that nuclear power is being left out of discussions on sustainable energy.

However, Heard's enthusiasm is not backed up by evidence. He anticipates:

…near term commercialization and deployment of a range of advanced nuclear technologies. We have estimated such integrated projects may deliver net benefits in the tens of billions of dollars to Australia while advancing international peace and stability and accelerating the deployment of important technologies.

The potential improvements in back-end waste management of advanced nuclear technologies are inarguable.

With the mounting threat of climate change and the immediate and serious problems of poverty and energy-related pollution, a direct substitute for new coal needs the greatest level of support. Modern nuclear energy is that direct substitute.

I do realise that in this summary of the submissions, I could well be accused of bias. The only way for readers to examine this question is to go to the JSCOT website, and to read the submissions for themselves.