Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to welcome Minister Hunt and Minister Laundy, who are here representing the portfolio, and I look forward to giving them some questions, particularly on this industry portfolio, which is an exciting portfolio indeed. I must admit I spent some time working in industry. We had a manufacturing plant in the great state of Victoria—where Minister Hunt comes from—in Cheltenham. We employed over 100 staff at that manufacturing plant, but unfortunately in the eighties we had to shut it down because of the extraordinary demands of the metal workers union. So we became non-manufacturing and became a representative company.

But the industry portfolio is an exciting portfolio. It contains this government's National Innovation and Science Agenda, which defines our nation's strong innovation strategy to help shape our economic future. It really is science and innovation that can improve and change the world in which we live. The 2017-18 budget measure 'Maintaining Australia's optical astronomy capability' provides $26.1 million in new funding over the forward estimates to secure Australia's pre-eminence in optical astronomy research, industry engagement and instrumentation. The government is providing $119 million over 10 years to enter a strategic partnership with the European Southern Observatory, known as the ESO. Astronomers in Australia will be eligible to compete for access to the world's best optical and infrared observing facilities, including eight-metre-class telescopes at the ESO La Silla Paranal Observatory, through a 10-year strategic partnership with ESO for 2017. Australian companies will be eligible to compete for work packages at the observatory on the same basis as companies from ESO member states, and Australian institutions will have the same opportunities as institutions in the ESO member states for involvement in instrumentation for the La Silla Paranal Observatory.

The government has also allocated funding for the Australian Astronomical Observatory, the AAO, which had been going to terminate on 30 June 2020. This measure will see the transition of world-leading research and technical capabilities in optical astronomy from the government operation to research sector ownership from 1 July 2018. A university consortium, led by the Australian National University, will fund the operations of the 3.8-metre Anglo-Australian telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, near Coona-bar-bran through to at least 2024—

An opposition member: Coonabarabran!

Thank you for the interjection and the correction from the member opposite. I am sure he has visited there many times.

An opposition member: I have.

And left his mark.

Honourable members interjecting—

An opposition member: It is a great spot.

I like the congeniality in this chamber for a change. A university consortium, led by the Australian National University, will fund the operations of the 3.8-metre Anglo-Australian telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, near Coonabarabran, through to at least 2024, extending its important role and supporting recently funded ARC Centres of Excellence to the end of its operational life.

On the advanced instrumentation capability front, a consortium led by Astronomy Australia Limited, a not-for-profit company representing the goals of the astronomy community, and interested university partners will retain and further develop the AAO's world-renowned Sydney-based instrumentation capability. I am sure the member for Blaxland will be interested in that. This will link to the world-class ANU instrumentation facilities at Mount Stromlo in Canberra and other university laboratories to create our national optical instrumentation capability. It will position Australian instrumentation developers to compete for contracts under the new ESO partnership. This element will be supported by the $5 million per annum of operating funding from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. A smooth transition of Australia's domestic astronomy infrastructure and expertise from the AAO to the research sector will support the ESO partnership, maintain key national strengths and capabilities in astronomy instrumentation, and foster innovation and research-industry engagement.

Could the minister advise people who are interested in the sector how the Australian government's 10-year strategic partnership with the European Southern Observatory announced in the budget will benefit the Australian science and industry sectors? And can the minister also outline how this new measure presents an opportunity to reshape Australia's domestic optical astronomy capabilities? I thank the Chamber.

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