[Aqualist] MARINE AND TROPICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN NORTH QUEENSLAND

[Simon Haberle]

Dear All,

Minister’s Nelson and Campbell have just called for expressions of interest 
for funding of marine and tropical research (see media release below).

This pot, you may recall, was announced in the election last year and was 
the political response to the failure of two established CRCs getting 
through the business case round of CRCs last year.

Cheers, Simon


APPLICATIONS CALLED FOR MARINE AND TROPICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN NORTH 
QUEENSLAND
15 November 2005 MIN 2042
Research into North Queensland environmental issues will receive a $40 
million boost with the announcement today of research priorities for the 
Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility and a call for expressions of 
interest for funding.

Australian Ministers for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian 
Campbell, and Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson, said the 
Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) would help address 
the demand for high quality research in North Queensland.

Located at James Cook University campuses in Cairns and Townsville, the 
research facility would be involved in examining the environmental 
challenges facing the Great Barrier Reef, the Torres Strait and tropical 
rainforests including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

The $40 million will be allocated to research in five key priority areas:
€ Understanding the condition and trends of North Queensland’s 
environmental assets – improved understanding of the condition, trend and 
interdependencies of environmental assets, methods to support ongoing 
regular assessment and reporting and methods to identify priorities for action.

€ Risks and threats to North Queensland’s environmental assets - improved 
understanding of threats to, and impact on, the environment and the region, 
and options to mitigate them.

€ Water quality and water resources of reef catchments - improved 
understanding of the causes and effects of changing water quality and 
resource use in coastal catchments, and options for improving and measuring 
practices, reducing risks and mitigating impacts.

€ Catchment and coastal land use planning and management - improved 
understanding of the current and potential uses of land with respect to 
maintenance, improvement and sustainable use of biodiversity, ecosystem 
function and soil resources.

€ Sustainable use and management of natural resources - improved 
understanding of the current and potential industry and community uses of 
biodiversity and natural resources with respect to ecological, social and 
economic sustainability.

The MTSRF is a key element of the Australian Government’s $100 million 
Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) programme.

“This facility will help build on and enhance the research capacity 
established by the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) for the Great 
Barrier Reef and Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Management to support 
world-class public good research into the vital needs of the North 
Queensland region,” Senator Campbell said.

“Research focusing on these areas will provide us with the critical 
information needed to determine trends, measure pressures and develop 
possible solutions to the key issues facing our environment,” Dr Nelson said.

“I would also like to congratulate Mr Warren Entsch, the Member for 
Leichhardt, and Mr Peter Lindsay, the Member for Herbert, for their 
tireless advocacy in support of this facility, and indeed for JCU as a whole."

Both Ministers paid tribute to James Cook University for the key role it is 
playing in the development and operation of the facility, and also to the 
work of the Interim Board of the facility which provided advice on its 
future operation and management, including the research priorities.

Expressions of interest for funding are invited today until 5pm on Friday 
16 December 2005.

Further information about CERF is available online at www.deh.gov.au/cerf