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PERTH - A uranium resources company has labelled West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter a luddite for his stubborn opposition to uranium mining.
The ALP national conference over the weekend voted to expand its uranium mining policy to allow the opening of more mines.
But NSW Premier Morris Iemma, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie and Carpenter remained steadfast in their opposition to uranium mining.
Uranium explorer Paladin Resources' managing director John Borshoff said Queensland would have a more pragmatic approach to uranium mining and was confident he would have a viable project there by 2012.
"How can you have a federal Government giving the green light and understanding the energy mix and seeing the need for uranium mining?" he said. "Then you've got one luddite and one guy coming to grips with the situation.
"I think Queensland will have a more pragmatic approach and WA will still be coming out of an ideological quagmire. WA looks at things very narrowly."
Borshoff said it was a matter of when and not if WA would allow uranium mining and exports.
"Companies will now keep on investing and exploring and shareholders will encourage that because it becomes a matter of when, not if, [mining] will happen," he said.
Carpenter has previously said uranium mining would not happen while he was premier.
Australia Uranium Association executive director Michael Angwin welcomed the ALP's decision but called for the states to fall in line with the federal Labor stance.
"The powerful logic of this decision will need to be taken fully into account by those states that have abundant resources or have infrastructure which can support the expansion of the industry," he said.
"The onus is now on the states to align their policies with the logic of the national conference decision."
SA Premier Mike Rann has hailed the policy change on uranium as a victory for his state.
- AAP
