A Navy admiral has moved to reassure Rockingham residents of the safety of nuclear submarines as more vessels begin rotating through HMAS Stirling as part of the AUKUS pact. Community concerns began to increase after the nuclear safety watchdog approved a radioactive waste facility at HMAS Stirling naval base on Garden Island. But Head of Nuclear Submarine Capability Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley said the Navy was committed to the highest standards of nuclear stewardship.
He said the Navy was partnering with the US Navy and the Royal Navy, “who’ve been safely and effectively operating nuclear-powered submarines for more than six decades”. “In fact, they’ve never had a single incident that’s caused any harm to human health or the environment,” he said. “And you know, I’ve been asked would I be happy to live or for my family to live near the submarines — well, my dad lives in Rockingham.
“But you know, most of our sailors and our families live there, so (safety is) really important to us because that’s where our kids live, it’s where they go to school as part of the community and will be the same for the US people, they’ll be there, and their families are there. “So from our point of view, no one is closer to making sure our submarines are safe.” He said submarine crew members wore radiation detection devices and received less exposure than sunbathers or passengers on a flight.
There have also been community concerns for the wildlife around Garden.