Geoscience Australia monitors nuclear explosions worldwide on behalf of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, following a 1984 government decision. In 1996, Australia signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and ratified the Treaty in 1998. As part of the ratification process new legislation had to be introduced and a new Act, the "Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Act 1998" was passed by Parliament. The Nuclear Monitoring project helps Australia fulfil its obligations under the CTBT by monitoring for nuclear explosions worldwide and by strengthening its contribution to a global verification regime.
Australia is now focusing on the Entry-Into-Force (EIF) of the CTBT that will provide a political framework to limit the further development and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Once EIF is in place, the Australian Government will work towards the elimination of all nuclear weapons.
To enhance Australia's technical means of monitoring nuclear explosions worldwide and to strengthen Australia's commitment to the establishment of the global verification system that will monitor future compliance of the CTBT.
Geoscience Australia co-hosted with the CTBTO a regional technical training course for National Data Centre (NDC) technical staff, at Geoscience Australia from 21-25 November 2005. The goal of this course was to train NDC staff from southeast Asia and the SW Pacific on what and how to interpret the products that are generated by the CTBT verification system. These training programs assist in enhancing the knowledge and further momentum of the CTBT verification regime in this region, and may potentially lead to further ratifications of the Treaty.
Geoscience Australia, in cooperation with the CTBTO, hosted an on-site inspection field exercise in the Bungonia State recreation area, near Goulburn NSW, from 2 to 7 October, 2005. The focus of this exercise was to assess the effectiveness of a range of geophysical survey equipment at detecting phenomena consistent with those of an underground nuclear explosion and provide "hands-on" training for potential on-site inspectors on the use of these equipment.
An Infrasound Technology Workshop was hosted by Geoscience Australia in cooperation with the CTBTO in Hobart from 29 November to 3 December, 2004. This workshop provided a forum for infrasound phenomenology researchers to present their research results and discuss infrasound issues related to the CTBT.
The 2004 Infrasound Technology Workshop is to be held in Hobart from November 29 to December 03. It will be hosted by Geoscience Australia in cooperation with the Vienna-based Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The workshop is a forum that allows infrasound phenomenology researchers to present research results in an informal setting.