Page 3855 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 15 December 1992
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MR BERRY: I am glad that Mr Kaine interjects, "You have already signed the agreement". That is patently wrong. While you spread that poison, it does your credibility no good. The agreement has not been signed. I have said clearly that this Labor Government supports the principles of Medicare and will continue to do so. We will not get on the band wagon that has been created by New South Wales and Victoria, as you have. We will not abandon Medicare. We will continue to work for it and with it.
Cooperative Research Centres
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister outline the significance of the ACT's success in obtaining additional cooperative research centres, and what is the Government doing to support these initiatives?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Ms Ellis for the question. It is a great achievement for the ACT in obtaining two additional CRCs under the final round of the Federal CRC program and, of course, we are also a strong participant in a third CRC. These centres are potentially of very great significance to Canberra.
The Centre for Advanced Computational Systems is based at the ANU Centre for Information Science Research, the CSIRO's Division of Information Technology and four private sector computer companies. This program acknowledges the pre-eminent position of the ANU's centre in supercomputer technology in Australia, so it is further recognition of our significance there. The research data network centre which is also based at the ANU Centre for Information Science Research will ensure that the ACT institutions maintain an active role and a very important role in national science and technology activities.
Madam Speaker, the ACT Government has worked very closely with the ACT institutions in developing proposals for ACT based cooperative research centres, so obviously we are very pleased with the outcome. We support the ACT research and development activity for two reasons. It forms an important industry in its own right and it provides the basis for the development of new ACT based industries. We are well aware of the potential of ACT research. From 1993 the Economic Development Division of my department will be seconding a quite senior officer to work full time with the Centre for Advanced Computational Systems. That officer will be involved in promoting and developing opportunities associated with the advanced technology sector in the ACT. I think this is a very exciting opportunity for us to maximise the commercial development potential of research activities in this Territory.
The third CRC in which we are involved is the cooperative research centre on freshwater ecology. This is obviously a very important step towards the improvement of water quality in Australia's inland waterways. The ACT waterways are enormously significant in Australia's water resources. The Department of the Environment, Land and Planning under the Minister, Mr Bill Wood, has been, and will continue to be, very closely involved with the University of Canberra in this project. The centre will provide the knowledge for achieving sustainable use of surface waters in the temperate region of Australia, including those of the ACT region. In my view, it will provide a very important contribution to the achievement of the national water quality management
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