Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about innovators in Bradfield, and I am pleased to say that there is an enormous amount of activity going on amongst businesses and innovators. I recently had the chance to visit the CSIRO facility at West Lindfield. The CSIRO has opened up that space to start-up companies. I visited Baraja, an emerging company which is focused on developing LIDAR technology, a vital technology for the next generation of driverless cars. Baraja received a $1 million Commonwealth Accelerating Commercialisation grant in 2016 to help it in developing its product to a stage of commercialisation. Also at the CSIRO facilities at West Lindfield, there is a collaboration hub being set up, Fledge Innovation Labs, which will support medical technology start-ups to reach the commercialisation phase, by facilitating industry connection and providing prototype maker spaces. So I commend CSIRO for the work that they are doing and I certainly want to congratulate the founders of Baraja and Fledge Innovation Labs for their exciting work.

I also recently had the chance to visit Novogen labs in Hornsby. Novogen is an Australian-grown biotechnology innovator. It was recently awarded a Cooperative Research Centres Program, CRCP, grant from the Commonwealth government to work closely with the University of New South Wales on a new generation of cancer treatments. This initiative, in partnership with Sydney based ICP Firefly, is bringing together industry professionals and researchers to advance medical technologies and share research costs.

I also recently had the chance to meet with Bradfield architect and entrepreneur Malcolm Carver and his son and business partner, Simon, who are bringing innovation to one of the most fundamental devices in the home: the toilet. They have designed a retractable toilet and they recently won a significant award for their innovation at a global industry trade fair in the plumbing sector. They received that award in the face of strong international competition.

I am pleased to note that a number of these companies I mentioned have benefited from research and development tax rebates and other incentives offered as part of the Turnbull government's innovation agenda. It is important that this support be provided to allow innovative companies to remain financially sustainable through the very difficult prototyping phase that is really critical if these businesses are to get through that phase and achieve commercialisation.

I want to congratulate and acknowledge Baraja, Fledge, Novogen and Malcolm Carver for their innovation and I look forward to these companies continuing to be successful, generating prosperity, employment and benefits for their customers.