6 July
2006 - Queensland Labor Senator Jan McLucas demonstrates
a breathtaking lack of knowledge with her misleading
comments about the Australian Government’s improvements
to marine and tropical science research.
Senator McLucas’ assertion that
the closure of the Rainforest and Reef Cooperative
Research Centres (CRCs) has not been replaced
is nonsense.
The Australian Government has
been implementing the replacement for the CRCs’
– the new Marine and Tropical Sciences Research
Facility (MTSRF) – for the past year, working
with researchers, industry and government, as
well as an expert reference group. This group
has determined key research priorities and implementation
is well underway.
But the most extraordinary claim
by Senator McLucas is that the CRCs “closed their
doors” on 4 July, when it is widely known that
the CRCs have had their terms extended to 30 September
to ensure continuity of outstanding research projects
and an orderly transition from CRC to MTSRF.
It seems Senator McLucas is
the only person in North Queensland who is not
aware of these arrangements.
In addition, the Australian
Government had already spent $2.5 million under
MTSRF as a ‘top up’ to final year operations of
both the Rainforest and Reef CRCs to ensure there
was no loss of research capacity from the region
and no scientific ‘brain drain’ in the lead up
to the implementation of MTSRF facilities.
MTSRF is a multi-disciplinary
approach to pursuing big-picture environmental
research to help protect North Queensland’s unique
reefs and rainforests, such as the Great Barrier
Reef and its catchments, tropical rainforests,
including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
and the Torres Strait.
MTSRF funding represents an
average annual increase of Australian Government
spending on environmental research of about $3.5
million a year compared with previous research
programmes in the region. I have approved this
plan; successful research providers have been
informed and have started work. I will announce
further arrangements for the MTSRF in coming weeks.
For more information on this
please see the Research Investment Strategy online
at http://www.deh.gov.au/programs/cerf/publications/mtsrf-ris.html
Rob Broadfield
