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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-24 Daily Xml
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION 10 INITIATIVE

Ms FOX (Bright) (14:27): Can the Minister for Science and Information Economy advise on the progress of the Science and Technology Innovation 10 Initiative?

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:27): As most members of the house are aware, the STI¹º—a ten-year vision for science, technology and innovation in South Australia—was launched by the Premier in 2004 as the key driver of the government's ten-year vision for research and innovation.

The strategy plays a vital role in helping meet South Australia's Strategic Plan targets. Our responsibility in government was to put in place a solid foundation for science and technology that would build and renew our state's school base, encourage new ideas and inspire specific solutions to issues affecting our state's future, such as climate change and waste management.

We are now midway through the STI¹º decade and, because this is a living document against which activities and projects are pursued, the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology has prepared an analysis of achievements to date. These have been detailed in the STI¹º progress report which can be accessed on the web. The achievements are truly impressive.

The state government has invested an impressive $206.85 million in over 50 projects in the past five years and has been directly responsible for leveraging a further $1.168 billion in investment from the commonwealth, industry and the university sector. That is a staggering $1.375 billion overall, a figure that I stress has been independently assessed by Deloitte's.

The projects and achievements are extensive and include the Royal Institution of Australia which, as the Premier has already informed the house, will be opened on Thursday 8 October. The Royal Institution of Australia will be located in the refurbished former Adelaide Stock Exchange building and will be—and I stress this—the national centre for the promotion of science awareness. It will share resources with the Royal Institution of Great Britain and is the only presence of the Royal Institution outside Britain. Other projects include: the Wine Innovation Cluster, the Mawson Research Institute, the Australian Centre for Plant Genomics, the BioSA Incubator—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: I have to say—

Mr Pengilly: Riveting answer.

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: Yes; and you can understand when you go into universities why they get so frustrated, having to operate in this particular environment. In excess of $1.1 billion that we have brought into the research sector as a result of our activities over a five year period, and all you get is a babble.

The South Australian government, by supporting, investing in and promoting these groundbreaking projects, is enabling our science and research professionals in industry, our universities and in government to apply research outcomes to practical solutions and entrepreneurial opportunities.

We are midway through $1.1 billion, levered off around $300 million of state government money, another five years to go. I would like to be able to get up here in another five years and say that we have hit $2.2 billion in contribution to research in this state, and no help from the opposition.

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