Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise to speak about the budget for the Industry and Science portfolio, and what a wonderful portfolio it is. It will continue to support Australia's key scientific assets and build momentum in the existing industry initiatives aimed at strengthening Australia's economy and our international competitiveness. It continues the work started under the Industry Innovation and Competiveness Agenda which is I announced last year. The agenda set out a new approach for industry policy, with an emphasis on science, to foster innovation and research. We are putting science at the centre of industry policy. I should at this point welcome my parliamentary secretary, who has joined our team in the reshuffle since the last budget, and is doing an absolutely fantastic job, of course.

We want to have science at the centre of industry policy because it is through stronger links between industry and research that Australia will be to capitalise on the opportunities of the future. We are focused on building business capabilities to improve productivity and competitiveness, as well as stimulate innovation, entrepreneurship and of course jobs growth.

In this budget the government is providing almost $70 million in additional funding for Australia's leading scientific research organisations to build a world-class infrastructure that will create stronger connections between research and industry and maximise Australia's competitiveness. It is a strategic and targeted investment. The budget includes $49.1 million for ANTSO to manage Australia's radioactive waste produced specifically from nuclear medicine production and research in areas of national priority that benefit all Australians.

ANSTO's waste arises from the production of around 85 per cent of Australia's potentially lifesaving nuclear medicines—as well as neutrons to help Australia's industry solve complex problems and enable research into areas of national importance—and 30 per cent of the world's irradiated silicon. The budget also includes an investment so that ANTSO can increase its interim waste storage capacity pending the establishment of a national radioactive waste management facility and funding to enable the return of intermediate-level waste from the United Kingdom in accordance with an intergovernmental agreement.

The government has also committed $20.5 million to the 2016-17 year to ensure the continued operation of the. Australian Synchrotron. This is an important research infrastructure platform delivering groundbreaking scientific discoveries with benefits for all Australians. It is anticipated that the Victorian government, along with the New Zealand government, will also assist in the operating costs in 2016-17. Future ownership and long-term funding of the facility are to be considered by the Commonwealth following outcomes of the research infrastructure review currently underway.

In the budget we also announced the Home Insulation Program Industry Payment Scheme. This was established in response to recommendations of the report of the Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program. It recognises the government's moral responsibility to the businesses which suffered an adverse financial impact as a direct result of the Home Insulation Program. The scheme will make payments to businesses which suffered an adverse financial impact when the program was cancelled unexpectedly in 2010. The scheme opened to applications on 1 June and will be open for applications for a period of six weeks. However, extensions will be provided to those businesses that are unable to complete their application in that time.

In addition to this, my portfolio will continue to implement the new direction for industry policy that the government announced last year through the Entrepreneurs' Infrastructure Program and the Industry Growth Centres Initiative. For example, I have announced reforms to the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program to better coordinate connections between the industry growth centres and CRCs to achieve common goals. We are also implementing new measures to boost commercial returns from Australia's significant research effort of over $9 billion annually, supplied by the federal government.

We have also released a new national science and research priorities list to ensure our high-performing science, research and innovation system delivers a maximum benefit. Nine cross-disciplinary priorities are: food, soil and water, transport, cybersecurity, energy resources, advanced manufacturing, environmental change and health. These priorities will help our world-class science and research effort to reflect the needs of industry, the national economy and, of course the community.

The government will work with universities, research institutions and industry to identify projects and investment to address the priority areas. The government has a very clear vision for a strong industry sector and, along with that, a strong science sector as Australia maintains our focus on new jobs, new investment and making Australian industry more competitive.

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