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Science $4 million facility to support joint Australian, NZ bid for SKA
Science $4 million facility to support joint Australian, NZ bid for SKA | $4 million facility to support joint Australian, NZ bid for SKA |
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| by Peter Dinham | |
| Thursday, 01 October 2009 | |
  
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Science DiscussionsThe Minister said up to 12 highly skilled personnel will be employed at the Geraldton facility, which will ensure Geraldton plays a key role in Australian astronomy. "Geraldton's unique position means that it can serve as a major link between the proposed SKA base at Boolardy Station in WA's mid west and Perth. Not only will the facility support valuable local jobs during its construction, but it will sustain high-skill, high-wage jobs during its operation.” The mayor of Geraldton, Councillor Ian Carpenter, who was with the Minister for the announcement, said the council gave the facility 100 per cent backing, and that the locating of the facility in Geraldton was a “win-win” for the town and the mid-west of the state. "Besides the immediate economic benefits, it will help in leveraging further funding from other areas of industry and government – particularly in relation to renewable energy opportunities." Senator Carr said the announcement comes on top of the support provided by the National Broadband Network (NBN), “where the Geraldton to Perth link has been named a national priority. The link contains additional capacity to accommodate the SKA.” Senator Carr said that if Australia is successful in hosting the SKA, it will bring “enormous economic and scientific benefits to Geraldton and WA more broadly. "The Rudd Government will continue to do all it can to promote WA as the world's best core site to host one of the world's great science projects. The SKA is a large-scale, new-generation radio telescope with a discovery potential that is 10,000 greater than current instruments.” The Minister said that a decision on the final site (for the SKA) was expected in 2012. The Geraldton facility is planned to be completed in 2011 with the design tender opportunity to be announced shortly by the Federal Government. |
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