Page 1502 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 18 May 1993
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Members will be aware that Canberra is a major centre for scientific research and development through the excellent work carried out in the universities and in organisations such as the CSIRO. A priority for the Government is to improve the linkages between these research organisations and the business community to ensure that the commercial potential of the research can be realised. I have had useful discussions recently with Professor Michael Pitman, the Federal Government's Chief Scientist, on these issues. Our position is that, as far as practicable, the benefits of the commercial application of the research must remain in Canberra.
We have been very successful in having five cooperative research centres located in the ACT, as well as being strongly involved in several others. On the basis of this success, we could expect that ACT institutions may be the principal participants in one or two of the additional 10 centres that will commence operations in 1994. We have also funded an ACT government officer to work with the Centre for Advanced Computational Systems at the Australian National University. This will assist in marketing and developing the centre's many future business opportunities, at the same time as providing important links between research at the university, the Government and Canberra's business community.
Madam Speaker, the advanced technology sector is another sector vital to our long-term economic prosperity. The important role that the ACT Government is playing in this sector is demonstrated by the Advanced Technology Working Group, which developed out of the South East Economic Development Council. This working group provides an open forum for hardware manufacturers, software developers, research organisations and business representatives to meet and review developments in the advanced technology industry, and for local industry to demonstrate its capabilities. Because of the sensitive commercial nature of this field, similar attempts by industry have not proved successful in the past. The Government has played a crucial role in bringing the parties together.
Madam Speaker, in addition to its broad role in working with the advanced technology industry, the Government has taken a range of specific initiatives. We have made a direct sale of land in Mitchell to Optus to develop a $13m switching station. On 14 April, I opened the station, which will provide 12 new jobs. We helped to convene a presentation by Optus on 12 February to give local Canberra companies a chance to develop alliances with Optus in seeking business opportunities over the next three years. Over 130 local businesses attended this presentation. We have assisted Total Peripherals in their plans to establish a new computer manufacturing and assembly plant in Canberra. Total Peripherals expect that their plant will provide up to 130 new jobs by April 1994.
We are jointly sponsoring the Open Solutions Centre as a place for local companies to demonstrate their latest hardware and software. The centre has become a major venture, involving a number of industry partners trialling new computer applications. On 6 April, I launched the health and safety first software training package at Open Solutions. This package was developed by two local companies, Wizard Information Services and Learning Curve, and is an outstanding example of the type of innovative products being developed by our advanced technology industry. I was also very pleased to open the new facilities of Aspect Computing at Mitchell. Aspect has designed and developed Perspect, a new human resource management system. Following a successful trial, I am pleased that Perspect will be implemented across the ACT Government Service.
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