All impediments to mining Australia's uranium resources should be removed, a parliamentary committee said Monday in the latest attack on national policies restricting sales of the radioactive fuel.

"All members are agreed that the present restrictions on uranium exploration and mining are illogical, inconsistent and anticompetitive," said Geoff Prosser, a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Party and chairman of the committee that examined uranium issues.

"State policies preventing development of new uranium mines should be lifted and legislative restrictions on uranium mining should be repealed," he said in a statement.

The committee's report came two weeks after an expert task force set up by Prime Minister John Howard to examine a range of uranium issues recommended lifting restrictions on export and enrichment of the fuel to boost the multimillion-dollar nuclear industry and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

Prosser's 10-member cross-party committee was asked to report on the strategic importance of Australia's uranium resources, which account for almost 40 percent of the world's known reserves.

Prosser said that when the inquiry was established in March last year, there was little discussion in Australia about uranium mining and even less about nuclear power.

"There is now a growing recognition that nuclear power makes a significant contribution to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

"As a matter of energy justice, Australia shouldn't deny countries that wish to use our nuclear power in a responsible manner the benefits from doing so," he added.

Australian uranium production has been limited since 1983 by a "no new mines policy" established by the federal opposition Labor Party when it was in government. The Labor-governed states of Western Australia and Queensland also have bans on uranium mining and processing, and there is a national ban on building nuclear power stations.

Labor governments of four of Australia's six states -- Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland -- have indicated they do not intend to review their policies.

Australia, which supplies about 23 percent of the current world uranium market, imposes strict conditions on its sales to ensure that the fuel is not put to military use.

But sales are expected to soar with a recent agreement to supply China. Australia is also considering selling uranium to India despite New Delhi's refusal to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.