Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to continue the theme of innovation and speak about an organisation in my electorate which does incredible work bringing industry and research together to create better outcomes for Queensland and Australia. In a suburban office in the electorate of Ryan a small team, dedicated to the economic development and diversification of knowledge-intensive industries, is achieving great outcomes. Life Sciences Queensland has 157 members—bold and innovative organisations, large and small, covering the spectrum of life sciences: human health; animal health; and agricultural, environmental, industrial and marine biotechnology. Many members are from research and development and innovation backgrounds across the sectors. Life Sciences Queensland or LSQ works to ensure its members and the broader life sciences industry work together to complement each other's capabilities and demonstrate that Australia, and indeed Queensland, is relevant in a global biotechnology setting. LSQ supports and promotes industry sectors and individual organisations to promote growth, build the profile of the sector and enhance the capacity and capability of the life sciences industry.

With the Australian health-care industry being ranked as the 12th largest in the world, and with an annual spend of $121 billion, it is little wonder that an industry-led organisation like Life Sciences Queensland is such a success. With events at the hugely successful Innovation 20, held to coincide with the G20 in Brisbane, the success of Life Sciences Queensland will no doubt continue to build on the solid foundations it has created.

A large part of the success of Life Sciences Queensland has to be attributed to its indefatigable chief executive officer, Mr Mario Pennisi. Mario has been with Life Sciences Queensland since its inception and has been a tireless champion of the work they undertake. Mario is the always smiling and enthusiastic face of LSQ, whether it is in the media or in the boardroom. He is passionate about the place and role of Queensland as a research hub in the world of life sciences and that is demonstrated through the dedication he has not just to LSQ as an entity, but his belief in the sector as a whole.

Life Sciences Queensland works to bring together industry and researchers not just from Queensland but from around the world. They hold events all over the world, like the upcoming LSQ Queensland BIO Reception in Philadelphia, as well as holding events in Queensland to bring international industry and potential investors to meet with researchers and tour their facilities. There are already two major events scheduled for this year, the Life Sciences Futures Showcase in May and the Australia Bioenergy and Bioproducts Symposium in October.

Life Sciences Queensland is doing an amazing job of promoting the capability of Queensland to the world. With wonderful, life-changing medical technology like Professor Ian Frazer's Gardasil vaccine for cervical cancer the future of medical research in Queensland is looking strong. While Gardasil will no doubt see the instances of cervical cancer continue to decrease in future years, the endeavours of Life Sciences Queensland are not just confined to medical research.

Another Ryan constituent, Professor James Dale of the Queensland University of Technology, is working on a bioengineered banana, which provides up to 15 times more vitamin A than traditional bananas, to be grown in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Health Organization, vitamin A deficiency is the No. 1 preventable cause of blindness in children and of maternal mortality in the world. Professor Dale's research and test crops are being funded in a large part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The World Health Organization estimates that between 250,000 and 500,000 children become blind each year as a result of vitamin A deficiency, and half of those die within a year of becoming blind. I commend Professor Dale on his foresight and skill which have made such a difference in this area.

Queensland and its life sciences industry are well served by Mario Pennisi and LSQ. Their tireless work will reap large results for Queensland and Australia. The world will benefit from innovative technologies that will save and enhance life and Australia will gain a reputation as a hub of the medical world. I am pleased to have had this opportunity to highlight the work of Life Sciences Queensland and I look forward to updating the House on their progress in the months and years ahead.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It being 5 pm, the debate is interrupted.

House adjourned at 17:00

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Hon. BC Scott ) took the chair at 09:30.