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AAP
AAP
Politics
Fraser Barton

'Duttonheimer': Qld protesters lash LNP's nuclear plan

Protesters voiced their views on the coalition's nuclear plans outside the Queensland LNP's offices. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Protesters have rallied outside a major Liberal National Party office to slam the federal opposition's nuclear energy plan.

More than 50 people gathered at Queensland's LNP headquarters in Brisbane on Monday as the fallout over Peter Dutton's controversial policy continues.

Environmental groups and union members joined concerned citizens at the Albion office to lash the nuclear plan, dubbing the federal opposition leader "Duttonheimer".

It marked one of the biggest protests since Mr Dutton pledged on June 19 to build seven nuclear plants across five states on the sites of coal-fired power stations if elected.

Two of the proposed sites are located in the Sunshine State - at Callide in central Queensland and Tarong, northwest of Brisbane. 

Queensland Conservation Council's Paul Spearim said First Nations communities had not been consulted on the nuclear energy plan, sparking fears about its impact on the environment and people.

"We had Maralinga," Mr Spearim said of the 1956 nuclear testing by Britain in South Australia. 

"I was proud and fortunate enough to meet a lot of old people that were affected by those blasts in Australia, and a lot of the following generations after these old people are still suffering from nuclear damage."

Union members during the protest
Electrical Trades Union members were among those protesting the plan to embrace nuclear power. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Electrical Trades Union workers said voters are being blindly led with a policy not backed by experts or current state and federal legislation.

"We have a longstanding vote in the national office that takes an anti-nuclear stance ... it's not good for workers, it's not good for communities or environment," union member Hayden van der Kruk told AAP.

"It's just a smokescreen (to continue fossil fuels) and doesn't stack up economically."

Stuart Traill, also from the union, called the opposition leader "Duttonheimer" and queried why nuclear was now suddenly a priority.

"If they wanted nuclear power they could've done it when they were in power for 10 years," he told the group of protesters.

Anti-nuclear protesters in Brisbane
Two of the seven proposed sites that would house nuclear plants are located in Queensland. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Concerned citizen Julia Jackson told AAP the policy was "risky, unknown and goes against the national interests", with a renewable energy course already mapped out by states and the Commonwealth.

"He (Mr Dutton) is just trying to muddy the water to ensure the government doesn't reach their renewable goals," she said.

"It's just opportunism."

Mr Dutton is yet to reveal costs associated with his nuclear plan, and harnessing the energy source would require changes to federal and state legislation.

In Queensland, nuclear energy is banned under the Nuclear Facilities Prohibition Act 2007 which forbids the construction and operation of particular nuclear reactors and other facilities in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Queensland LNP and opposition leader David Crisafulli has repeatedly said nuclear energy is not part of his party's plans ahead of the October state election despite the federal leader's stance.

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