AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR PLANT FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Science and Information Economy. What assistance is the government providing to support leading-edge research being conducted through the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Youth, Minister for Gambling) (15:05): As our state deals with the difficulties of a drought, it is timely to focus on what the government is doing to support research in abiotic stress in South Australia's core crops of wheat and barley. The state government's substantial financial support for the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, which has research nodes—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: This centre has research nodes in Adelaide, Victoria and Queensland. It is assisting that organisation to make crucial inroads into maintaining and improving crop yields. The ACPFG, with a staff of over 100, is an iconic member of the science and research community in South Australia.

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: No-one has tried to kill it off, Iain, and that is just ridiculous; it is something which, I think, gets bipartisan support. All administrative and funding responsibilities are assigned to Bio Innovation SA; and I congratulate Bio Innovation SA on its outstanding achievement in winning the fostering creativity and innovation category at the inaugural Premier's Awards, which I spoke about the other day.

The centre is strategically vital for our state in maintaining our international leadership in plant biotechnology. Last year an independent international review of the ACPFG concluded that the centre is on track to become one of the best research centres in the world for cereal genomics. ACPFG's research and development activities are aimed at developing the tolerance of cropping plants to multiple stresses, such as low water availability, high salt, temperature variation and mineral deficiency. In 2002, in recognition of the crucial need for a facility of this type, the state government approved funding of $12 million to establish and support the centre. Some $5 million of that funding was used for the construction of the plant genomics centre building at the Waite; and $7 million over five years underpinned research and operational support.

I draw members' attention to additional state government funding approved for 2007-08, which will provide $1.75 million per annum from January 2008 to December 2012 (totalling $8.75 million over five years). Within the first funding period from 2003 to 2007 the ACPFG will have received a cash operating budget totalling $45 million and in-kind contributions of $23 million. The Grains and Research Development Corporation and the Australian Research Council have agreed to continue to fund the ACPFG, with the expectation that the headquarters and more than $75 million worth of research and development expenditure stays here in South Australia. This is a very good news story.