A nuclear power advocate says Australia needs to get over its fear of the energy source.

Michael Shellenberger, president of clean power research and policy organisation Environmental Progress, has addressed the International Mines and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne.

Mr Schellenberger defended nuclear power as safe energy technology that produces minimal amounts of waste material.

Australia contains more than 30 per cent of the world’s known supplies of uranium, but has no significant nuclear power reactors and only a handful of uranium mining operations.

“Whenever I get an invitation to come to Australia I like to come, because it’s such a rich and intelligent country,” Mr Schellenberger said.

“But it’s just got this one little hang-up about nuclear. So I like to come and talk a little bit about why I think the country needs to get over it.”

Mr Schellenberger said nuclear power is a viable energy solution to help avoid further increases in climate variability, but that he is concerned the industry could be turning into a niche technology.

“It should be going in the other direction,” he said.

“We should be rapidly expanding our nuclear base in order to combat climate change, but we aren’t.”

There is not much appetite for nuclear power in Australia’s political class, in fact fighting against it was one of the central reasons for the formation of the Greens.

Possibly the most prominent advocate for a policy change is former prime minister Tony Abbott.