❓ Question regarding the McGowan Labor government's $39 million investment in research infrastructure and its impact on job creation and economic growth in the science and research sectors. The Minister provides a detailed response outlining the projects to be funded and their potential benefits.
AnsweredQoN 533Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE
FUNDING — JOB CREATION
533. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Science:
I have a question about science for
the Minister for Science! Can the minister please update the house on how the
$39 million investment in world-class research infrastructure that the McGowan
Labor government has secured will create jobs in the science and research
sectors and help drive economic growth in these areas?
FUNDING — JOB CREATION
533. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Science:
I have a question about science for
the Minister for Science! Can the minister please update the house on how the
$39 million investment in world-class research infrastructure that the McGowan
Labor government has secured will create jobs in the science and research
sectors and help drive economic growth in these areas?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for that question. I know his interest in science as a former
teacher, and I thank him for a very good question. Before I answer that
question, can I also pay my respects to the former member for Eyre, a former
Minister for Water, who is in the Speaker's gallery today. Having him
here today means that we have here all four Ministers for Water who served
under the previous Barnett government. Minister Jacobs, of course, was first.
Then there was the member for Nedlands, and look how far he has gone since he
was Minister for Water! He was followed by the member for Warren–Blackwood
and finally the current Leader of the Nationals WA. All four former Ministers
for Water are here, and I do not think anyone will mind me saying that Minister
Jacobs was by far the best of all four! It is great to have him here. Maybe we
will get a question on water a bit later on and I can talk about him a bit
more!
I
thank the member very much for the question. Yes, a few weeks ago we announced
a $39 million investment in science infrastructure here in Western Australia.
That is a collaboration with the commonwealth and local research institutions. The $39 million is made up of a $10.5
million contribution from the state government, and that commitment in the state budget has allowed us to access almost
$20 million from the commonwealth as part of its national collaborative
research infrastructure strategy and almost $9 million from local research
institutions. Together that $39 million package, the first package of this kind
since 2011, will really be a great boost to science infrastructure and research
in Western Australia. Six projects will be funded, all based at the University
of Western Australia, which is the
WA node of the national collaborative research infrastructure strategy. Some of
those projects that will be funded are really quite amazing. It is about science, but it is also about jobs and
boosting the economy in Western Australia. The vice-chancellor of UWA did some
media on this and really made the point that unless Western Australia continues
to invest in science infrastructure, we will fall behind. Other countries
invest in this infrastructure in a way that some states do not. This package
will mean that not only will we be able to keep up, but in some areas we will
move ahead, and that is what we continue to need to do if we are to create jobs
in Western Australia.
One of the projects that will
receive funding under this package is the ocean glider program, which produces
autonomous ocean gliders. Under this funding they will do research on ocean
currents here in Western Australia, particularly around Ningaloo Reef. Those
ocean gliders have gone as far as from here to Sri Lanka and back, all
recording ocean currents and temperatures—things that tell us how the
ocean is performing and enabling us better information about things such as
weather forecasting and particularly food security for the fisheries industry
in Western Australia. The data that those ocean gliders collect is absolutely
important to forewarn the industry about changing ocean conditions. Professor
Chari Pattiaratchi, who manages the program, is absolutely over the moon that
this package will allow that program to continue. We also visited Professor
Martyniuk. He showed us around the Australian National Fabrication Facility,
which again is at UWA. It manufactures cutting-edge infrared sensors that have
applications not just in defence, but for search and rescue and things such as
detecting drug smuggling, weather forecasting and pollution detection. All of
those things are possible and they create jobs in Western Australia. The member
for Dawesville is rapt with this funding package—I can see the grin on
his face—because he understands that this research is not just about
science —
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr D.J. KELLY : — but
it enables our economy to keep pace with other economies that we compete with
and to create jobs here in Western Australia.
thank the member for that question. I know his interest in science as a former
teacher, and I thank him for a very good question. Before I answer that
question, can I also pay my respects to the former member for Eyre, a former
Minister for Water, who is in the Speaker's gallery today. Having him
here today means that we have here all four Ministers for Water who served
under the previous Barnett government. Minister Jacobs, of course, was first.
Then there was the member for Nedlands, and look how far he has gone since he
was Minister for Water! He was followed by the member for Warren–Blackwood
and finally the current Leader of the Nationals WA. All four former Ministers
for Water are here, and I do not think anyone will mind me saying that Minister
Jacobs was by far the best of all four! It is great to have him here. Maybe we
will get a question on water a bit later on and I can talk about him a bit
more!
I
thank the member very much for the question. Yes, a few weeks ago we announced
a $39 million investment in science infrastructure here in Western Australia.
That is a collaboration with the commonwealth and local research institutions. The $39 million is made up of a $10.5
million contribution from the state government, and that commitment in the state budget has allowed us to access almost
$20 million from the commonwealth as part of its national collaborative
research infrastructure strategy and almost $9 million from local research
institutions. Together that $39 million package, the first package of this kind
since 2011, will really be a great boost to science infrastructure and research
in Western Australia. Six projects will be funded, all based at the University
of Western Australia, which is the
WA node of the national collaborative research infrastructure strategy. Some of
those projects that will be funded are really quite amazing. It is about science, but it is also about jobs and
boosting the economy in Western Australia. The vice-chancellor of UWA did some
media on this and really made the point that unless Western Australia continues
to invest in science infrastructure, we will fall behind. Other countries
invest in this infrastructure in a way that some states do not. This package
will mean that not only will we be able to keep up, but in some areas we will
move ahead, and that is what we continue to need to do if we are to create jobs
in Western Australia.
One of the projects that will
receive funding under this package is the ocean glider program, which produces
autonomous ocean gliders. Under this funding they will do research on ocean
currents here in Western Australia, particularly around Ningaloo Reef. Those
ocean gliders have gone as far as from here to Sri Lanka and back, all
recording ocean currents and temperatures—things that tell us how the
ocean is performing and enabling us better information about things such as
weather forecasting and particularly food security for the fisheries industry
in Western Australia. The data that those ocean gliders collect is absolutely
important to forewarn the industry about changing ocean conditions. Professor
Chari Pattiaratchi, who manages the program, is absolutely over the moon that
this package will allow that program to continue. We also visited Professor
Martyniuk. He showed us around the Australian National Fabrication Facility,
which again is at UWA. It manufactures cutting-edge infrared sensors that have
applications not just in defence, but for search and rescue and things such as
detecting drug smuggling, weather forecasting and pollution detection. All of
those things are possible and they create jobs in Western Australia. The member
for Dawesville is rapt with this funding package—I can see the grin on
his face—because he understands that this research is not just about
science —
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr D.J. KELLY : — but
it enables our economy to keep pace with other economies that we compete with
and to create jobs here in Western Australia.
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