I am pleased to announce that the Australian Government will provide $50 million for the expansion of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
The funding will contribute towards a seven-storey extension of the Institute that will double the floor space available for medical research.
This will allow the Institute to significantly expand its research activities, particularly in the areas of cancer and infectious diseases.
The Institute, established in 1915, is regarded as one of Australia's foremost medical research organisations. It has an international reputation for the high quality of its basic and applied research.
The Institute's prime areas of research include cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and breast cancer; immunology; auto-immune diseases such as juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis and infectious diseases such as malaria and influenza.
Since 2000, the Australian Government has provided $104 million to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research through the National Medical Research Council. Today's commitment of a further $50 million this year builds on this commitment to the Institute's outstanding work.
The Australian Government is committed to ensuring that Australia remains a world leader in health and medical research.
The Australian Government provided about $460 million in health and medical research funding in 2005 through the National Health and Medical Research Council, more than double the funding provided in 1999.