22/04/2005 - The Howard
Government will invest $40 million to support
world-class research on the Great Barrier
Reef and tropical rainforests, the Australian
Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell announced today.
The funding will be provided under the Commonwealth
Environment Research Facility (CERF), announced
by the Prime Minister in September 2004.
The CERF is aimed at creating national research
hubs and building critical mass in areas of
Australia's environmental research strengths
and national research priorities. The CERF
specifically supports proposals that demonstrate
strong public good outcomes.
Senator Campbell said the commitment to public
good research will create a world class hub
of tropical science and management expertise
in North Queensland and represents a further
instalment to the national research effort
by the Coalition Government.
Funding of $3 million will initially be provided
in 2005-06 to establish the Marine and Tropical
Sciences Research Facility and to consolidate
the work of the Cooperative Research Centre
(CRC) for the Great Barrier Reef and the CRC
for Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Management.
The creation of the Marine and Tropical Sciences
Research Facility delivers on the Howard Government
election commitment to establish the Facility
as part of a Tropical Sciences and Innovation
Precinct at the James Cook University (JCU).
"We need to ensure this unique environment
is properly understood and that we can continue
to manage and develop the area in a sustainable
way," Senator Campbell said.
"This funding will ensure that world
class environmental researchers can continue
to work on key projects vital to our understanding
of the Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforests."
"Funding for the Facility will provide
an opportunity to build on previous research
and to create stronger links between managers,
researchers and the industries that rely on
these unique environments," Senator Campbell
said.
