Overall the Innovation, Industry, Science and Research budget has had a small increase of about 7%. Last year with the budget just over $5.5 billion has increased to nearly $6 billion. The main beneficiaries of the budget increases are the DIISR itself, ANSTO and IP Australia with significant increases in funding. It was announced that ANSTO will get an extra $9.7 million in funding to help in the decommissioning of nuclear facilities not in use, mainly the Moata, HIFAR reactors at Lucas Height and the National Medical Cyclotron. This funding will be used to dismantle the facilities and to support the maintenance and inspections and to manage any waste.

Unfortunately there are some casualties. Once again Australia’s main body for Science and Research and Development, the CSIRO has been hit with budget cuts. This year’s budget is $1.18 billion, down from $1.25 billion last budget which translated to a near 6% decrease in their budget. This budget reduction basically means that an estimated 130 jobs will have to be shed adding to an already strained industry for scientists who are looking more and more overseas to do their work and research.

However the Australian Research Council, which funds the bulk of scientific research in Australian Universities and facilities, has had a small 8% increase in its funding with a $60.5 million increase in its budget. One thing that is not clear from this, though, is how much of this will filter down to any R&D and what restrictions will be placed on the funding, where in the past there has been a requirement that the money goes on equipment rather than people. Thus many facilities have nice shinny new instruments bit no people to run them. It seems that once again, that scientists in Australia will have to look to moving overseas to do their work and research.

Dr Daniel Andruczyk