AUSTRALIA POISED TO EASE URANIUM CURBS

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By Raphael Minderin Sydney
Saturday, April 28, 2007

Australia is today set to take an important step towards boosting its production and export of uranium, with the opposition Labor party expected to abandon its long-standing policy of restricting the mining of the ore.

Kevin Rudd, the Labor leader, intends to push through a proposal at the party's annual conference to drop the “three mines” policy that Labor introduced in 1984. That policy has restricted uranium production to three specific sites.

The move is significant because, although the Liberal party leads the federal government, mining permits are handled by state governments, all of which are under Labor control.


澳大利亚今天将朝着提高铀矿产量和出口的方向迈出重要一步，因为该国反对党工党(Labor Party)有望放弃其长期坚持的限制铀矿开采的政策。

工党领袖陆克文(Kevin Rudd)计划在工党年会上推动大会通过一项提议，以放弃该党在1984年提出的“三矿”政策。该政策将澳大利亚的铀矿生产限制在3处指定的矿场。

此举之所以意义重大，是因为尽管自由党领导着澳大利亚联邦政府，但铀矿开采许可权控制在州政府手中，而这些州全部处于工党控制之下。