Page 3234 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 17 September 2013

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The CSIRO also plays a key role in our innovation ecosystem. The government made a $1.1 million co-contribution to establish the High Resolution Plant Phenomics Centre. This has leveraged $19 million of Australian government funding for the centre and the establishment of a Canberra node of this national facility at Black Mountain.

The centre adds greatly to the CSIRO’s plant industry capability in the ACT. Indeed, Black Mountain is the nominated location of the CSIRO’s national plant industry precinct. What has been created is a unique knowledge capability here in Canberra that is now attracting interest nationally and across the globe. To give one example, the centre is participating in a multinational consortium funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop the technology to double rice yields by 2050.

The University of Canberra is similarly delivering new approaches that drive innovation and job growth in Canberra’s economy. The government’s commitment to the development of UC’s allied health facility has directly led to the development of the University of Canberra public hospital, the headquartering of NICTA’s eHealth Living Laboratory at UC and the establishment of the university’s sports commons.

The first stage of the sports common, the sports hub—partly funded by a grant of $5 million from the ACT government—will see community sporting organisations and the Brumbies located on the university’s campus. In addition, through the strategic opportunities funding program, we have provided $150,000 for the establishment of an environmental chamber in the sports hub building. As I mentioned earlier, this has leveraged a further $100,000 in investment from the Institute of Sport towards the facility.

The strength of the sports common has now been recognised by two recent commonwealth announcements. The first one is the establishment of the sports technology partnership under the industry innovation partnership program. While it is not headquartered in Canberra, the presence of the University of Canberra as a core partner, and its proximity to the AIS and the Sports Commission, will ensure that many of the benefits will flow to the Canberra community.

The second announcement was that Regional Development Australia will provide $10 million in funding for the university to build the next phase of the sporting commons development. The new building, which will include large indoor sports facilities, will be used to help promote the physical literacy of people in the region—teaching them to become active, to enjoy being active and, importantly, to keep active throughout their life.

With the establishment of the sports technology partnership, strong connections to the AIS, which is considering a joint professorial appointment, and the Australian Sports Commission, the sports commons will not only attract more students in the sport and sports medicine fields but also attract companies wanting to commercialise the innovative ideas that come out of it.


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