Contact Information

Nuclear Authorities in Australia

This collection of contact information is maintained locally at INIS and is based on data submissions by National INIS Liaison Officers.
 
Please consult the Internet Directory for more information.

Australia

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) (http://www.ansto.gov.au) is an agency of the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources (http://www.isr.gov.au)

ANSTO came into being on April 27, 1987, replacing the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, which was established in 1952. ANSTO operates Australia's only nuclear facility and it has a staff of 850. Its research reactor, HIFAR (High Flux Australian Reactor), supplies radioisotopes for industry and medicine. It is used as a source of neutron beams by researchers in Australian industry, universities and at ANSTO. It is also used for the irradiation of silicon for semiconductor applications and for irradiation of samples for mining and oil exploration. The organisation operates in a number of research areas: the application of nuclear physics, advanced ceramics, the processing and utilisation of radioactive materials, biomedicine and health, environmental sciences, research in crystal and molecular structures, and radiopharmaceutical sciences. This research is directed towards practical utilisation of nuclear science and technology for the benefit of Australia.

Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office (ASNO) (http://www.dfat.gov.au/wmd) is an agency of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (http://www.dfat.gov.au)

ASNO’s principal objective is to enhance Australian and international security through activities, which contribute to effective regimes against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. ASNO is combining the functions of the Australian Safeguards Office (ASO), the Chemical Weapons Convention Office (CWCO), and the Australian Comprehensive Test Ban Office (ACTBO) established following ratification of the CTBT. ASNO will also assume responsibility for implementation aspects of the Biological Weapons Convention protocol currently being negotiated in Geneva.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) (http://www.arpansa.gov.au) is an agency of the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care (http://www.health.gov.au)

On the 5th of February 1999 the Australian Radiation Laboratory (http:www.health.gov.au/arl) combined with the Nuclear Safety Bureau (http://www.nsb.health.gov.au) to form a new organisation called the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). This new Federal Government agency is charged with responsibility for protecting the health and safety of people, and the environment, from the harmful effects of radiation.