South Australian Museum

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Arts. What plans does the government have for the future of the DNA and tissue collection currently stored in ultrafreezers as part of the Museum's Evolutionary Biology Unit? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The unit has operated a state-of-the-art laboratory and tissue collection of DNA samples, providing a critical reference bank for determining the taxonomy of Australian biota. Since its establishment in 1985, the unit has processed 170,000 DNA samples and provided postdoctoral positions through joint university grants for approximately 30 researchers. The Museum's lab, fitted with specialist machinery and devices, has assisted hundreds of doctoral and postdoctoral students gain experience in this field. Staff have been advised that the Museum will no longer support the operation of this unit.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (15:06): If we are on the same track, I think the member for Morialta is referring to the tissue samples that are in, I think, some fairly large industrial-sized freezers. A lot of those samples are being used by researchers that aren't part of the Museum, predominantly university researchers. In terms of making that available to university researchers and others outside of the Museum, I think there are conversations happening as to how best to do that.

The Museum needs to focus on its core functions. It is doing that. In terms of those samples being made available, a lot of museums around the country and around the world do similar things, but they do it on a fee-for-service basis. That may be a potential consideration for the Museum, but that's an operational issue. I am happy to come back if there is any more detail I can provide, but I understand that, really, it's a core business for the Museum to run the best museum it can. Some of these samples are used by researchers outside of the Museum, and if that access needs to be available, it needs to be available in an efficient manner for the Museum.