Regulatory Framework for Nuclear and Radiation Facilities in Australia

Presentation by Jim Scott, Chief Regulatory Officer at Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)
Australian Nuclear Association ANA2023 Conference, held Friday 6 October 2023 at the Aerial UTS Function Centre, Ultimo, NSW.
Introduced by Michelle Durant, Managing Director at The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering - AINSE Limited.
Abstract: This presentation provides an overview of how nuclear and radiation facilities are regulated in Australia by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
The presentation will provide a brief description of the radiation and nuclear facilities ARPANSA regulates. This includes the OPAL nuclear research reactor, the shutdown HIFAR reactor, the ANSTO Nuclear Medicine Facility, as well as linear accelerators and radioactive waste stores operated by ARPANSA licence holders. It also describes the staged approach to licensing from siting through to decommissioning.
The presentation covers the overarching regulatory framework and the processes in place for obtaining a licence from lodging an application through to a decision being made. It also describes how ARPANSA incorporates international best practice into its licensing framework, which is a requirement of the ARPANS Act.