Nick Smith

Wellington, June 23 NZPA - Uranium ore from Australia is being regularly shipped through New Zealand ports, the Government has confirmed.

The ore, known as yellowcake, is destined for nuclear industries in the United States and Europe and can be used to make fuel and weapons.

Shipments of the radioactive ore have been passing through nuclear-free New Zealand's ports for 20 years but ministers learned about it only a month ago, TV3 News reported.

Environment Minister Nick Smith said a rational view should be taken.

"This is yellowcake, which is not much more than Australian dirt," he said.

"It remains in containers, on ship. It poses no risk to the public health of New Zealanders."

Yellowcake is mined in the Australian outback and is an early stage in the production of nuclear material.

Shipments pass through ports at Nelson, Napier, Tauranga and Auckland.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said there had been about one shipment a year for the last 20 years, but because shipping routes had changed the ore was now going through ports at the rate of about once a week.

Labour leader Phil Goff, foreign minister in the previous government, said he had not known about the shipments but wasn't concerned because he was confident it was used for peaceful purposes like fuel for nuclear power plants.

The report said the shipments came to light because the Environmental Risk Management Authority had changed its procedures and was now assessing them.

That meant this year's shipments have had to be publicly notified.