By William Ton in Melbourne

Australian nuclear reactors could become a target of war if the federal coalition was to go ahead with plans to build them, a group of former defence leaders warn.

The plan to build seven small nuclear reactors across five states on the sites of coal-fired stations could leave Australia vulnerable to missile warfare and sabotage, the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group says.

The group, including former Australian Defence Force chief Chris Barrie and Department of Defence Director of Preparedness and Mobilisation Cheryl Durrant, is urging the nation not to go down the path of building nuclear power stations.

Modern warfare is increasingly being fought using missiles and unmanned aerial systems, Ret Adml Barrie says.

“Every nuclear power facility is a potential dirty bomb because rupture of containment facilities can cause devastating damage,” he said.

“With the proposed power stations all located within a 100 kilometres of the coast, they are a clear and accessible target.”

Ms Durrant cited the Ukraine-Russia war where both sides have prioritised targeting their opponents’ energy systems.

“Australia would be no different,” she said.

Nuclear power plants could become a dual target due to their role in energy supply but also the catastrophic devastation which would occur if facilities were breached.

This means Australia would need to consider introducing expensive and complex missile defence systems and cyber and intelligence resources to defend the plants if war were to break out – which the nation currently lacks.

“Do we prioritise the protection of cities and population centres and military bases, or do we divert vital resources to defending seven nuclear power stations scattered across Australia?” Ret Adml Barrie said.

The group also claims building nuclear capabilities would derail Australia’s climate targets and exacerbate risks in the region.

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