Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Senator Sinodinos. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the Turnbull government is collaborating with the government of Sri Lanka to assist life-threatening diseases with Australia's world-leading nuclear medicine capabilities?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for his question and his great interest in all matters scientific and technical. ANSTO—the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation—is playing a key role in exploring the causes and solutions for serious diseases around the world. In particular, chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology is a serious public health issue in Sri Lanka, disproportionately affecting rice farmers in the north of the country.

Last month ANSTO entered into an MOU with the Sri Lankan Presidential Task Force on Prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease. I had the pleasure of taking the President of Sri Lanka to ANSTO's Lucas Heights reactor, where ANSTO's CEO, the indefatigable Dr Adi Paterson, showed him the world-leading capacity we have for groundbreaking research in nuclear medicine. The Sri Lankan deputy foreign minister visited the Australian Synchrotron at the end of March this year and opened discussions with Dr Paterson on this collaboration. This is very exciting. It sets the framework for some critical work to be done. Much of ANSTO's landmark and national research infrastructure could be employed to investigate this particular matter.

According to WHO—the World Health Organization—one possible cause of this chronic kidney disease matter is heavy metals in drinking water. ANSTO's groundwater research team can conduct elemental analysis of groundwater from hotspots for chronic disease to determine the heavy metals present in the water supply. The WHO has also suggested the use of agrochemicals as a potential cause of kidney disease. It is possible the facilities at either the Synchrotron or the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering could investigate this link. Researchers from the University of Queensland and Monash University have previously used the X-ray fluorescence microscopy at the Australian Synchrotron to examine renal biopsies for CKDu patients from Sri Lanka.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a supplementary question.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister advise how this collaboration with Sri Lanka to combat chronic kidney disease will complement ANSTO's other vital work in the nuclear medicine field?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The $168 million ANSTO Nuclear Medicine Project continues to make good progress with the construction of the facility now essentially complete. It is now in the final fit-out and testing stage. ANSTO expects the facility to commence operations by the end of the year. Once it reaches full production, it will supply up to 25 per cent of the world's nuclear medicines.

The government's announcement last year of a 10-year $520 million investment in sustainable funding for the Synchrotron has secured the future of this landmark research facility. The proposed ANSTO innovation precinct to be located at Lucas Heights campus will also break new ground in the nuclear medicine space. It will crowd high-tech companies and STEM graduates around Australia's centre of nuclear expertise. It will include the first nuclear science and technology incubator in the world. This will become the home of collaboration and entrepreneurship at ANSTO.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a final supplementary question.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on further ways in which the Turnbull government is taking advantage of our science infrastructure to engage in global collaboration?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Turnbull government believes in big science, and big science requires global collaboration. We are actively engaging with countries that have mutually beneficial science, innovation, research and development agendas.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We signed a memorandum of cooperation on innovation with Japan. In February, we signed a science research innovation agreement with New Zealand, and an agreement to cooperate on technological innovation and R&D with Israel. We are taking a strategic approach through our Global Innovation Strategy, a key international collaboration element of our National Innovation and Science Agenda, which provides an overarching framework to guide the government's work in the science and innovation space. Its program provides industry links and funding to encourage Australian researchers to form international partnerships with a focus on our own Asia-Pacific region. It complements our support for regional collaboration through the Australia-China Science and Research Fund and the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund.