I am very pleased to announce today that the Australian Government will contribute $5 million towards the Centre for Bionics and Hearing Science. This is in addition to the $700,000 I announced last year.
The Centre is the culmination of the work of Professor Graeme Clark AC and his team in advancing bionics and hearing sciences in Australia and internationally.
The Government's contribution to the Centre will assist in raising further funds for important research into nerve and spinal repair, coronary artery disease, epilepsy and new generation cochlear implants and hearing aids.
Professor Clark's pioneering work with industry partner Cochlear has brought hearing and speech to tens of thousands of people with severe-to-profound hearing loss in up to 100 countries. Today we mark the 20th anniversary of the first bionic ear implant in a child.
The Australian Government has supported research into cochlear implants in partnership with industry and people like Professor Clark for more than 38 years.
My Government last year provided an additional $5.3 billion over seven years for science and innovation through Backing Australia's Ability - Building Our Future Through Science and Innovation (BAAII). That has brought to $8.3 billion the Australian Government's total investment in BAA over the 10 years to 2011. Over this same period, the Australian Government will invest $52 billion in total in science and innovation.
Today's announcement reinforces and extends this strong commitment.