New community research shows increased awareness of nuclear science and strong support for a nuclear facility in Australia.

An Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) survey has revealed that people are more comfortable with the new nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights south of Sydney than they were when last surveyed in 2004 with over three quarters of southern Sydney residents regarding the facility as safe.

Significantly 90 per cent see the presence of an Australian nuclear science and technology facility as important.

More people are aware of what ANSTO does in applying nuclear science to improving the health of Australians, particularly in cancer treatment, and understanding and resolving our environmental problems.

Southern Sydney residents feel the new OPAL nuclear reactor, which commenced operation almost a year ago, is safer than the old reactor. Perceptions that it is safe have risen 12 per cent to 77 per cent over the past three years and public feeling that is unsafe is down 13 per cent to 19 per cent.

Community interest in nuclear issues is very strong with 62 per cent wanting to know more about the products from the nuclear reactor and how nuclear waste is managed.

Mr Andrew Humpherson, ANSTO's General Manager of Public Affairs said "We were pleased to find that people seemed to know more about what ANSTO does when results were compared to an almost identical study held in 2004," he said

"Some incorrect myths about ANSTO remain with 13 per cent believing ANSTO does nuclear weapons research and 38 per cent believing that ANSTO operates nuclear power plants. ANSTO does no weapons research and the OPAL reactor produces no power but as a multipurpose research reactor produces neutrons for research, nuclear medicines and irradiates commercial products," said Mr Humpherson.

Quantum Market Research, an independent research organisation, conducted the telephone survey of 550 residents of Sutherland, Bankstown and Illawarra as well as 150 from Adelaide.