4AUST HA LI A
PRIME MINISTER 19 April 1977
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
I seek leave to make a statement concerning the
Government's arrangements for receiving independent advice
on science and technology.
Science and technology have played an important part
in Australia's development, and if properly encouraged, they may
be expected to be even more important for Australia's future.
They are basic to our capacity to meet the challenges presented
by issues such as energy and resource availability, industrial
productivity and competitiveness, urbanisation, and the man~ agement
of the environment. To ensure that our valuable but limited scientific and
technological resources are applied most effectively to
Australia's problems, an integrated effort is needed. Advi-' sory
machinery of -the highest quality is essential if the Government is
to make the right decisions. The Government must be able to. draw
on t* ae best available advice if it is to formulate clear objectives,
establish the most effective and appropriate institutional means
for achievinrg them, and assign priorities on a rational and
considered basis.
Mr Speaker, science policy advisory machinery was first
established by a Liberal Country Party Government in Australia.
In A: ril 1972, the then Prime Minister, the Right Honourable the
MemLer for Lowe, announced the formation of the Advisory
Committee on Science and Technology. This reflected the importance
the Coalition Parties attached to having expert and co-ordinated
advice on policies for science and technology. As Honourable
/ 2 __ 7
2.
Members may recall, I was the responsible Minister when this
original Advisory Committee was established in 1972.
The Committee was disbanded in February 1973. It was
not replaced for some years not until mid-1975 when an Interim
Australian Science and Technology Council was set up pending the
passage of legislation.
Soon after the. 1975 election, a small and highly qualified
Advisory Group was formed to advise me on the role of a permanent
science and technology council. Having considered the Advisory
Group's report, I announced that the Interim Australian Science
and Technology Council would continue, but with some changed
membership and f'unctions.
As the Advisory Group recommended, the reconstituted
Interim Council was asked to report to the Government on long
term arrangements for an independent science and technology
advisory body. The Interim Council consulted widely and considered a
large number of submissions which substantially represented
scientific and technological opinion in Australia. The Council's
Report, presented in November 1976, indicated that there was
widespread suipport for the creation of a permanent and independent
science and technology council.
The Government has accepted the Interim Council's
recommendation that the Australian Science and Technology Council
be established as a permanent and independent body. As it is of
great importance that ASTEC not only be independent, but that it
be seen to be independent, the Government intends to establish
ASTEC as a statutory body.
The establishment of an independent science and
technology policy advisory council'on a permanent basis is a
significant advance. The history of science bodies in Australia
has been chequered, and making ASTEC a statutory body will give
the council the status, permanence and stability which it requires.
The functions of ASTEC are to advise the Government on
science and technology, including
the advancement of scientific knowledge and the
development and application of science and technology
in relation to the national well being; o../ 3
I the adequacy, effectiveness and overall balance
of the national effort in science and technology
in Government, industry, education and other sectors
of the community;
the assessment of gaps and overlaps in science and
technology in Australia;
the identification and support of new ideas of
science and technology likely to be of national
importance;
the practical development and application of research
discoveries and the fostering of technological
innovation in industry; and
o the means of improving efficiency in the use of
resources related to science and technology.
The Council will have a strategic role in assisting the
Governmentto encourage Australian science and technology to meet
. the nation's needs and objectives. It will have no executive
responsibilities but will be able to advise on operational
arrangements. ASTEC's knowledge and analysis of science and technology
will be valuable to many arms of Government. And the Government
expects the Council to inform itself and be informed of relevant
Government policies and to take into consideration economic and
budgetary implications in discharging its functions.
ASTEC will draw on existing Departments and Agencies for
the expertise, knowledge and assistance necessary to enable
these functions to be discharged effectively. But this will in
no way compromise the independence of ASTEC.
Pending the passage of appropriate legislation, ASTEC
has been established by executive action and is now continuing its
important work.. As the Council Report recommended, ASTEC will
repcrt to me, and its secretariat, which will be small in number,
will be attached to my Department.
The Government has agreed that ASTEC should prep-are a
repc. rt on the present state of science and technology in
Australia as recommended by the Interim Council. ASTEC will
prepare this report in parallel with conducting investigations and
providing advice on matters either referred to it by the Government,
or which arise from its own initiatives.
Since the Government will be making decisions on
matters upon which ASTEC will be reporting, the timing of the
release of ASTEC's reports will be for the Minister to decide.
The Government intends that ASTEC's reports siall be made
public unless there are overwhelming reasons in the national
interest for not doing so.
ASTEC will have a part-time Chairman and Deputy
Chairman, and up to thirteen other part-time members. The
Council's membership will have experience and knowledge across
the spectrum of science and technology and its impact on the
community. 1' embers will be selected for their individual
qualities and on the basis of their ability to contribute to
the work of the Council, not as representatives of particular
interest groups. I am pleased -to announce that Professor Geoffrey Badger
has accepted the position of Chairman of ASTEC. Professor Badger
has had a distinguished career as a scientist. After several
years as a Professor of Organic Chemistry, at the University of
Adelaide, he served for a short time as a member of the Executive
of CSIiOO Ho has just completed a ten year term as Vice-
Chancellor of the University of A -1elaide and is now-a Research
Professor in that University. He is the President of the Australian
Academy of Science and the Chairman of its Science and Industry
Forum. Professor Badger has played a significant part in
developing and presenting the case for an independent advisory
council, on science and technology. In 1967, he c'haired a working
party, established by the Science and Industry Forum of the
Academy of Science, to examine the need for science policy
machinery in Australia.. I recall that as Minister for Education
and Science I took part in the discussion of his report at a
subsequent meeting of the Forum. Professor Badger again
stressed the need for an independent science advisory council
in a Presidgntial Paper published by the Academy in 1975.
Another eminent scientist, Professor Sir Rutherford
Robertson, Fellow of the Royal Society of London and Past
President of the Australian Academy of Science, has accepted the
position of Beouty Chairman of the Council. Sir Rutherford is
Director of the Research School of Biological Sciences at
the Australian National University.
The other members of the council are:
Professor B. D. O. Anderson, F. A. A,
Professor of Electrical Engineering,
University of Newcastle;
SMr S. G. W. Burston, O. B. E.,
Chairman, Australian Woolgrowers and Graziers Council;
SDr L. Wo Davies, F. T. S.,
Chief Scientist,
A. W. A. Research Laboratory;
Mr A. W. Hamer,
Managing Director,
Austra] ia Limited;
Professor B. E. Hobbs,
Professor of Geology,
Department of Earth Sciences,
Monash University;
Mr B. T. Loton,
Executive General Manager,
Steel Division,
Broken Hill Proprietary Co Limited;
0 Sir Louis Matheson, F. T. S.;
Professor Sir Gustav Nossal, F. A. A.,
Director, The Walter ar. d Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research;
Mr A. H. Parbo,
Managing Director,
Western Mining Corporation;
Mr L. G. Peres,
Reader in Political Science,
University of Melbourne;
SMr K. Co Stone,
Secretary,
Victorian Trades Hall Council; o0/ 6
* Professor R. Street, F. A. A.,
Director, Research School of Physical Sciences,
Australian National University;
* Mr J. G. Wilson, C. B. E.,
Managing Director,.
Australian Paper Manufacturers Limited.
I would like to thank the organisations to which the
members of ASTEC are affiliated for releasing their services to
take up the task of this important advisory body.
I should also like to place on record -the Government's
appreciation of the work which the Interim Council, chaired by
Sir Louis Matheson, has undertaken in preparing its report.
Sir Louis and the members of the Interim Council have contributed
considerable time and effort. Their advice has greatly assisted
the Government to make decisions on long term arrangements for
obtaining independentL policy advice on science an~ d technology in
Australia. For the information of Honourable Members, I present
the report of -the Interim Australian Science and Technology
Council entitled: " Future Arrangements for an Australian Science
arid Technology Council". 0