PRIME MINISTER
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER THE HON P J KEATING MP
PRESENTATION OF THE IBM ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
AWARD TO THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE
TOWNSVILLE, WEDNESDAY, 20 JULY 1994
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is extremely gratifying to be able
to announce an IBM Corporation Environmental Research
Program award to the Australian Institute of Marine
Science. I have just had the pleasure of launching the Great Barrier
Reef Strategic Plan, a milestone towards the ecologically
sustainable management of a world treasure. This is
becoming a very satisfactory and environmentally friendly
day for me.
The Institute has every right to feel a little bit pleased with
itself about receiving this award. IBM is a corporation that
sets and expects the highest standards. IBM also
possesses and values highly its reputation as a good
corporate citizen. Its very generous sponsorship, through
the IBM International Foundation, of programs such as the
one which has produced this award amply illustrates that.
IBM has offered the Institute assistance in the form of
funding and computer techn0ology to the value of $ AUS1.4
millibn. Now, they used to let me deal with large sums
when I was Treasurer, and I can tell you that is a very
generous figure. The award is one of only four granted
worldwide, so is not only generous and practical but also
very good for the Institute's reputation.
I understand that the project outlined in the successful
proposal submitted by Dr Eric Wolanski will significantly
boost the research work being done at the Institute. Dr
Wolanski's proposes to undertake multi-disciplinary
research to model oceanographic, environmental and
fisheries problems on coral reefs and mangroves. The
project will produce new conceptual tools to assist
managers in their understanding of these threatened
marine environments for conservation and sustainable
management. Information from this project will be passed on to
collaborating universities, and marine modellers from a
number of developing countries will be trained. The
project will greatly facilitate communication between
scientists and environmental and resource managers both
here working on the Great Barrier Reef and in South East
Asia. The benefits of this award are not restricted to the
Institute alone.
I believe IBM is to be commended on its corporate
responsibility and foresight and I am pleased to extend my
government's warmest thanks to the corporation for its
generosity. The Australian Institute of Marine Science, ( or AIMS for
short) makes a very important contribution to the national
environmental research effort. Like the IBM Corporation,
the Institute enjoys a high international profile for
professionalism and excellence. It is acknowledged as
Australia's foremost research body in tropical marine
science, and is the world leader in areas including coastal
dynamics and the oceanography of coral reefs and
mangroves. It has a proud record of achievement in a number of
diverse and complex areas.
The Institute, with Commonwealth support, has also
recently begun a research program in a part of northwestern
Australia containing not only the nation's most
intense marine industrial activity, such as gas and oil
production, but also some of our most spectacular and
fragile ecosystems. The research focuses on the key
marine science issues relating to sustainable management
and regional development.
The importance of the Institute's work is acknowledged in
the most sincere way in the 1994/ 95 Federal Budget.
AIMS was included in an increase in base level funding for
three major Commonwealth research agencies by $ 34
million over three years.
The Institute is also a major partner in two Cooperative
Research Centres, or CRCs: the CRC for aquaculture and
the CRC for ecologically sustainable development of the
Great Barrier Reef. Both play crucial roles in formulating
ecologically sustainable development and management
strategies for their particular areas of concern.
I mentioned earlier the scope for regional cooperation that
the successful AIMS project proposal offers, and this is an
area where the Institute already plays a part through its
membership of the International Tropical Marine Resource
Centre, or INTROMARC.
INTROMARC is currently providing training in the
ecologically sustainable management of tropical marine
ecosystems to countries including Malaysia, Vietnam,
Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
The Commonwealth Government places a great emphasis
on environmental management and cooperation in our
international region, reflected in our involvement with
International Environmental Cooperation mechanisms.
Memorandums of Understanding on environmental
cooperation have been, or are being, concluded with
regional neighbours including Indonesia, Singapore and
Brunei. We play a role already in several regional cooperative
bodies, and look forward to co-operating with
ASEAN in their new projects. As well, we are members of
APEC, whose March meeting of Environment Ministers in
Vancouver resulted in an environmental vision statement
and a framework of principles for integrating economy and
environment in APEC.
Let me again thank the IBM Corporation and congratulate
all those involved in the successful project from AIMS. I
wish both organisations every success with their future
endeavours. They have given much to the world already,
and show every sign of giving much more in an area where
it is certainly needed and where an island nation like
Australia should hardly be afraid to take the lead.