Budget 2002 - ENVIRONMENT

[Simon Haberle]

AQUA Members may be interested in the implications of the budget for
science and environment funding.  Below are URL to budget web sites and
the press release from FASTS on science funding.

------------------------------
Environment budget documents can be viewed at the following URL's:

The 2002 EA budget web page (including all media releases): 
<http://www.ea.gov.au/about/budget/2002/index.html>

The Environment Budget Statement Investing in our Natural and Cultural
Heritage will be available on the budget web site: 
<http://www.budget.gov.au/2002-03/budget_ministerial/Environment/html/ea_index.html>

You should be able to access all documents by 8.00pm this evening.

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Subject: FASTS release on the Budget
Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 20:13:27 +0930
 

Media release from FASTS

SCIENCE AND THE BUDGET: RELIEF

Australia's peak council for scientists and technologists expressed
disappointment that the Budget carries no additional investment for
science and technology.

Professor Chris Fell, President of FASTS, said he had mixed feelings
about the Budget.

"I'm disappointed that Australia's national investment will continue to
languish below OECD levels, but relieved that the funding provisions
announced in last year's "Backing Australia's Ability" (BAA) are coming
through on time.

"Australia would be better served in 2002 by a greater investment in
science and the jobs of the future, than in building up a $2 billion
Budget surplus."

Professor Fell said he had written to the Prime Minister last month to
ask what plans the Government has for the next stage of re-energising
Australia's science and research.

"Our view is that Australia should set itself a national goal to reach
the OECD average expenditure on science and research by 2011, ten years
after the launch of BAA," he said.

"I'm concerned that that some elements in Government may regard science
and technology as a 'done deal' with the announcement of "Backing
Australia's Ability" in January 2001.

"But we're not even half way to reaching international standards.  The
funding announced in BAA was a down-payment, the first stage of hauling
Australia's investment in science and research back up to average OECD
levels.

"We all welcomed BAA 16 months ago as a promising first step.  Now it's
time for the second step, so we can get the catch-up process on track."

Professor Fell said even the Government recognised the job was not
complete.  The Daily Telegraph carried the following story on 5 May
2001, three months after the launch of BAA:

The Federal Government had by no means completed the job of investing in
science and innovation, Prime Minister John Howard said. S

"I would be the last to assert [the innovation statement] has completed
the job," he said.

"The science community, and industry, and anyone interested in the
industries of the future is anxiously awaiting the Government's plans
for the next stage of BAA," he said.

The sector estimated it would take an increased national investment of
$13 billion over a five year period to bring Australia's spending on R&D
into line with that of other OECD nations. Professor Fell said this
figure had not been challenged.

"It is important to recognise that this is not just a Federal Government
responsibility. Almost half the additional investment should come from
State governments and industry," he said.


For interview: Professor Chris Fell        (02) 4360 1920; 0438  274 962

Information:       Toss Gascoigne          (02) 6257 2891;  0408 704 442

-- 
Mr Toss Gascoigne
Executive Director
Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies
PO Box 218
DEAKIN WEST ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA

Phone:          +61 2 - 6257 2891 (work); +61 2 - 6249 7400 (home)
Fax:            +61 2 - 6257 2897
Mobile:         0408 704 442
Email:          fasts at anu.edu.au (Toss Gascoigne)
Web address:    http://www.FASTS.org
FASTS' ABN:     ABN 71 626 822 845
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Simon Haberle

ARC/QEII Research Fellow
President, Australasian Quaternary Association

School of Geography and Environmental Science,
PO Box 11A, Monash University,
Victoria 3800
AUSTRALIA

Room: S123
Tel: +61-3-9905-2932 or x52939
Fax: +61-3-9905-2948

Web Page: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ges/who/Haberle.html
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