Western Australia maps emergency response for possible AUKUS nuclear reactor accident near Perth

Western Australia emergency services have published a hazard plan setting out how they would respond to a worst-case nuclear reactor accident linked to AUKUS submarines or warships near Perth. The plan covers possible radiation leaks involving gamma radiation or radioactive iodine and outlines measures that could include iodine tablets, sheltering and evacuations. It was published last week and is described as a response to the increased rotation of nuclear submarines under AUKUS.

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The plan says the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency would coordinate any emergency response to a radiological or nuclear incident. It focuses on the unlikely event of a leak from the reactor core of an AUKUS nuclear submarine or warship, and also considers the more serious possibility of catastrophic reactor failure. The document rates that latter scenario at one-in-ten million per vessel, per year, a level it compares with a much more likely lottery win.

The hazard plan names several locations where an incident could affect response planning, including HMAS Stirling off Rockingham, the Henderson defence precinct, Fremantle port and Albany. It also says the Department of Health already has plans to distribute iodine tablets to local hospitals if needed. In the most severe scenario, the plan warns that a radiation plume could contaminate vegetables in local gardens or milk from cows grazing several kilometres downwind.

The publication is significant because it shows how state authorities are preparing for a nuclear-related emergency in a region that is becoming more closely tied to the AUKUS defence partnership. HMAS Stirling is already a key naval base in the Perth area, and the Henderson shipyard is expected to expand because of the project. The planning also reflects the practical challenge of managing public safety around nuclear-powered vessels in civilian-populated areas.

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The issue comes as Australia continues to build out the infrastructure and emergency arrangements needed for the AUKUS programme. The plan refers to both local and wider response arrangements, indicating that any serious incident would involve coordination beyond Western Australia. It also suggests that authorities are trying to set out procedures before any emergency occurs, rather than improvising after the fact.

What remains unclear is how often the plan will be updated and how the response arrangements would be tested in practice. The document describes the risk as extremely low, but it still sets out steps for distribution of medicine, sheltering and possible evacuation. The next developments to watch are any further detail from health or emergency agencies and any additional planning linked to the expansion of AUKUS-related facilities in Perth.

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