Nothing new for science in Fed budget

Pouring millions into defence and border security, with cuts in health and welfare, this year's Federal budget carries no significant investment for science and technology.

The budget has not imposed cuts on major research agencies such as CSIRO, the Australian Institute of Marine Science or Geoscience Australia.

And funding for biotechnology-related programs will continue to be delivered - $403 million has come through for the Backing Australia's Ability program.

The program promised $2.9 billion for innovation over five years from its launch, in 2001. The halfway point for the expenditure will be in 2004, when $900 million is promised.

Prof Chris Fell, president of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS), said he was relieved that the funding provisions announced in Backing Australia's Ability were coming through on time.

But he said Backing Australia's Ability was only a first step, and he was disappointed that Australia's national investment would continue to languish below OECD levels.

"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," Fell said.

"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."

FASTS said 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. Fell said this figure had not been challenged.

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

Fell said he had written to Prime Minister John Howard last month to ask what plans the government had 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, 10 years after the launch of Backing Australia's Ability," he said.

FASTS executive director Toss Gascoigne said there was only one new initiative, of $9.9 million, that would cover provisions for low and intermediate level repositories for nuclear waste.