Radiation emergency planning for Australia deals with a range of low-probability events, such as an accidental release from the research reactor at Lucas Heights, an accidental radioactive release from a visiting nuclear powered warship, widespread contamination arising from the re-entry of radioactive space debris, or an emergency arising from an uncontrolled radioactive source or from the malevolent use of radioactive material.
The radiation protection framework for the protection of the public and the environment from a radiological or nuclear emergency in Australia is aligned to the latest international guidance, provided in ARPANSA Radiation Protection Series G-3, Guide for Radiation Protection in Emergency Exposure Situations (2019).
Radiation emergency response
To support the efforts of state and territory governments responding to a radiological or nuclear emergency, under the Australian Government Crisis Management Framework, the ARPANSA maintains the Interim Australian Government Radiation and Nuclear Events Plan (AUSRNEPLAN). The Interim AUSRENPLAN outlines the processes the Australian Government, led by ARPANSA, may use to coordinate during and communicate in preparation for a significant radiological or nuclear emergency event.
ARPANSA has established a Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre in Melbourne, which provides 24-hour access to expert radiation protection advice in the event of a radiation incident. ARPANSA maintains specialised radiation monitoring capability to support the assessment of the radiation levels and the extent of radioactive contamination in the event of a radioactive release from a nuclear or radiological emergency. The capabilities and roles of these teams are consistent with the requirements of the IAEA Response Assistance Network (RANET) capabilities. ARPANSA also maintains laboratory-based facilities for the detailed analysis of environmental samples and for the measurement of radioactivity in contaminated people.
In addition to provision of field and laboratory based radiation emergency response teams, ARPANSA also supports national and international radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness through:
- its support to Australian planning for visiting Nuclear Powered Warships (NPW)
- its role as the National Competent Authority for two Conventions relating to nuclear emergencies, the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency
- its role as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Radiation Protection and as a member of the WHO's Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network (REMPAN).
