Kevin Scarce's nuclear royal commission backs SA waste facility

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill will make a "distinctly political judgment" by the end of 2016 on whether to act on a recommendation to set up a nuclear waste storage facility in the state to generate $100 billion in income over the project's forecast 120-year life.

The issue of whether Australia should become a large player in underground storage of other nation's spent nuclear fuel rods was thrust into the national spotlight on Monday when a final report by Royal Commissioner Kevin Scarce was publicly released, 14 months after his nuclear inquiry was originally established by Mr Weatherill to kickstart a debate about a nuclear industry.