PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 6 OCTOBER 1989
I am pleased to announce that the first meeting of the Prime Minister's Science Council is being held today.
The membership of the Council is included in your press kits.
Today's Discussions
Two topics of considerable importance both to the Government
and to the nation are being discussed at today's meeting.
They are global climatic change and the issues it raises for
Australia, and resources for science and technology and
their utilisation.
Also included in your press kits is a paper describing
recent developments in government policies for science and
technology and significant actions taken since the may
statement ' Science and Technology for Australia'.
Global Climatic Change Issues for Australia
This morning the Council is discussing the scientific
evidence for the greenhouse effect and considering the
effects of possible changes.
Papers to be presented to the Council describe the processes
at work in the atmosphere and the ways in which human
activity is changing them. Some important points are made in
the papers and will be covered in discussion. Although there
are considerable uncertainties, the balance of scientific
opinion is that climatic warming is very likely in the next
few decades. There may be increased climatic variability,
which would have important implications for agricultural
production. The combination of changes in Australia and
elsewhere will present us with a mixture of hazards and
opportunities. Since change seems likely, even though we cannot yet predict
what form it will take, it is prudent to prepare for its
consequences. There is a need to take account of possible
rises in sea level in planning the future use of our coasts
and littoral regions. As a nation, we make such extensive
use of these regions that even small rises in sea level
would have important social and economic effects.
Even though we cannot yet predict with certainty the effects
of the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we do
know that climatic change is likely to be disruptive and
costly, socially, economically and environmentally. We
should, therefore, do all we reasonably can to minimise that
change. This means reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a task which
will not be easy for any nation.
The Government has already done much to prepare its response
to the issues to be discussed this morning. Our present
position on many of these matters is set out in my statement
on the environment ' Our Country, Our Future', which I
delivered on 20 July this year.
Australia is taking a leading role in international
activities. We are participating in the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC). We have signed the Hague
Declaration on Protection of the Atmosphere. We have
introduced measures which more than meet the requirements of
the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer. We expect significant developments as a result of activities
planned for the next few years, including the report of the
IPCC at the Second World Climate Conference in 1990 and the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in
1992, which we hope will consider an international
convention on climate change.
The Government is providing additional funds for greenhouse
research in Australia. In addition to activities being
conducted as part of ongoing research programs, we have
provided $ 5.54 million over two years to complement existing
work. Much of this will be spent in CSIRO and the Bureau of
Meteorology. The Government has also established a National Greenhouse
Advisory Committee to advise on priority areas of research
and set objectives for a dedicated research groups scheme
which will commence next year. with regard to the important
matter of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases I have
established a task force to advise the government on the
options available to it. Following receipt and evaluation of
that advice the Government intends to convene a meeting of
relevant interests to discuss options for limiting
greenhouse gas emissions.
Resources for Science and Technology and their Utilisation
There are two messages which emerge strongly from the papers
to be discussed this afternoon. We need to make the science
and technology infrastructure, comprising research workers,
their laboratories and equipment, as strong as possible and
we need to link the research activities in our higher
education institutions and government laboratories more
closely to national needs, and to relevant industry sectors.
The Government can look with some satisfaction at what it
has already achieved, while recognising that reform and
rebuilding will take time and will require further
substantial effort.
In the May statement ' Science and Technology for Australia'
Minister Jones and I stated the government's commitment to
providing an environment which will encourage successful
research. It recognised that such research depends on highly
motivated and thoughtfully directed effort.
In the May statement, we announced additional support for
science and technology, amounting to $ 390 million over five
years. The measures announced in the May statement are
already producing results, as the paper I referred to
earlier makes clear.
I should like to mention one aspect of progress towards the
goals the Government has set for improving Australia's
science and technology capacity. This concerns the provision
of career structures for research staff in higher education.
The Australian Research Council will introduce an integrated
package of reforms and innovation to its existing
fellowships schemes. It will provide a new system of
fellowships that will significantly increase opportunities
for career progression of outstanding young researchers.
The existing postdoctoral research awards and Queen
Elizabeth II fellowships will be supplemented by two new
fellowship categories, Research Fellow and Senior Research
Fellow. The fellowship system, which currently comprises 128
postdoctoral and 28 Queen Elizabeth II fellows, is expected
to produce approximately 350 fellowships at its peak in
1995.
All fellowships in each category will need to be won in open
competition. The Postdoctoral Fellowships and the
Fellowships can be held only once in each category, while
Senior Fellows will be able to compete for further
Fellowships at the expiration of their terms.
The Minister, Mr Dawkins, has released a detailed statement,
which is included in your press kits.
The Council will also discuss the commercialisation of
Australian research. The authors of the invited papers have
noted that our performance in this area has been inadequate.
The Government will continue its efforts to improve this
situation, but an effective solution will require continued
and sustained action by all parts of the community.
I believe that we are moving in the right direction. The
restructuring of the Australian economy, which has been a
cornerstone of my Government's policies, offers tremendous
opportunities to those companies able and willing to take up
the challenge of developing and applying new technology to
their products and processes.
The overall message which emerges from these papers is that
science and technology will be even more important in
Australia's future than in the past. International
competitiveness in all industry sectors will be increasingly
dependent on technological innovation and on highly
developed skills in management and at all levels in the
workforce, of which the science and technology community is
a key element. Background to the formation of the Council
The formation of the Council was announced in May 1989 in
the joint statement ' Science and Technology for Australia',
issued by the Minister Assisting for Science and Technology,
Mr Jones, and myself.
That statement was prepared following reviews of several
areas of science and technology policy, including research
in higher education and the research responsibilities of the
Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, as well as
general reviews of Australian science and technology by
ASTEC and by a group of officials.
The reviews identified a number of issues of general
concern, including the adequacy of mechanisms to coordinate
and consult on science and technology policy.
The Council will be a forum for exchanging views and
discussing topics of national interest. It will also be a
body which can recommend action by the Government.
The Government is strongly represented in the membership of
the Council by Ministers with primary responsibility for
scientific and technological matters. The Council also
contains strong representation from the business community
and the science and technology community.
The Council will also have links with the Coordination
Committee on Science and Technology. This committee, which
is chaired by the Chief Scientist, Professor Slatyer, was
another part of the measures Minister Jones and I announced
in May.
Meetings of the Council will be held at least twice a year.
The next meeting will be held in about six months and there
will be another meeting at about this time next year.
In addition to the core membership of the Council, other
people with a particular interest in, or ability to
contribute to, the issues under consideration will be
invited to attend particular meetings.
These people will be drawn from all areas of the community,
but will come particularly from those engaged in research
and the management of research, and in the application of
science and technology to economic and social objectives.
Some of these people will be invited to prepare and present
papers to the Council. In this way, the Council will be able
to draw upon a wide range of resources and benefit from the
best expertise available in Australia.
The papers will be published after the meetings as a
permanent record of proceedings and as useful source of
reference material on the issues discussed.
Further information: Professor Ralph Slatyer 71 5217 ( w)
1728 ( h)
6.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S SCIENCE COUNCIL
The Prime Minister ( Chair)
The Hon Barry Jones, MP - Minister Assisting for Science and Technology ( Deputy Chair)
The Hon Neal Blewett, MP - Minister for Community Services and Health
Senator the Hon John Button, - Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce
The Hon John Dawkins, MP - Minister for Employment, Education and Training
The Hon John Kerin, MP - Minister for Primary Industries and Energy
Dr Keith Boardman, FAA, FRS, Chief Executive of CSIRO
Professor Ray Martin, AO, FAA - Chairman of the Australian Science and Technology Council
A representative of the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Professor Brian Anderson, FAA, FRS - Head of the Department of Systems Engineering in the Research School of Physical Sciences at the Australian National University
Sir Gustav Nossal, AC FAA, FRS - Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Professor Cheryl Praeger, Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of Western Australia
Sir Peter Abeles, Managing Director of TNT
Mr Roger Allen, Managing Director of Computer Power
Mr Trevor Eastwood, Managing Director of Wesfarmers
Mr John Ralph, AO - Managing Director and Chief Executive of CRA
Dr John Stocker, Managing Director of AMRAD
Professor Ralph Slatyer, AO, FAA, FRS
Chief Scientist ( Executive Officer)