Renewables need another source of electricity when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine. Yet Australia is the only nation in the top 20 economies of the world that does not have nuclear electricity.

Compare that with France which derives 70 per cent of its own electricity from nuclear generators and exports electricity to Germany. Germany spent over 700 billion dollars on renewables but now has the highest cost of electricity in Europe and has to rely on other countries for its power.

In Australia, nuclear power plants can be built near our old coal-fired power stations to avoid the $38 billion cost of new transmission lines to prop up renewables.

Small Modular Reactors (SMR) are modern technology nuclear reactors that are being produced by at least six companies including Rolls Royce. Perhaps we should follow in the footsteps of Russia, China and Canada by installing small modular nuclear reactors.

Allan Pryor, Figtree

Back in 1988-90 Wollongong suffered under similar rainy conditions with the water table 20mm above ground level. The trigger at that time was a strong hot current flowing down the east coast of Australia in 1988. The strength of the current was a reported 15km per day. It travelled all the way down to the Antarctic, across the Antarctic to, and up the west coast of South America.

A number of significant hot eddies formed off the east coast; one being off Jervis Bay and another off Bass Strait. The water temperature was reported to have peaked over 30 degrees. The eddy that formed off Jervis Bay captured low pressure cells which in turn fed the rain onto the coast of the Illawarra. Today there appears to be an eddy off Byron Bay based on the weather pattern.

The impact on fishing was trophy size marlin being caught off Wollongong, near destruction of the Tasmanian biodiversity with the increase in tropical marine life and hot water, and new fish species being caught off South America.

The tuna did not appear along the east coast prompting a worldwide concern of overfishing which resulted in action by the government to buyback fishing licences.

The rain stopped when the ocean cooled. The fishing report (Mercury, July 22) talks of the return of the tuna; "...favourable water temps from the current pushing northwards and the tuna were in the leading current line".

This means cooler ocean temperatures are on their way. So it is a good chance the consistent rainy weather could stop by September.

Ian Young, Towradgi

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