Australia's ability to respond to climate change and to protect and understand our 13 million square kilometres of marine territory will receive a significant boost with the Government’s $387.7 million Super Science Marine and Climate initiative.
Marine research is central to understanding how and when our climate is likely to change, and managing the impact on precious environments like the Great Barrier Reef and the Southern Ocean.
An immediate priority for Australia is to commence a $120.0 million project to build a new state-of-the-art deep water research vessel.
The new vessel will be built over the next three years and will be funded to operate for 300 days at sea each year.
It will take marine research to the ice edge of Antarctica and dramatically increase the quantity and quality of at-sea research.
The new vessel is needed urgently because Australia’s only research vessel capable of operating in the vast Southern Ocean – the RV Southern Surveyor – is now 38 years old and nearing the end of its useful life.
The previous Government failed to invest in the necessary replacement of this critical infrastructure, slashing days at sea and access to hands-on research.
As well as building a new vessel, the Super Science Initiative provides $29.6 million for maintenance of the RV Southern Surveyor over the next three years, allowing it to operate for up to 180 days a year at sea while the new vessel is being built.
Other elements of the Super Science Marine and Climate initiative include:
- A $52.0 million extension of the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) network, including increased monitoring of the Southern Ocean, which is critical to better understanding climate change;
- In the tropics, $55.0 million for infrastructure investments at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) facilities in Townsville and Darwin;
- On the ground, $80 million of infrastructure will be developed for research into terrestrial ecosystems, groundwater depletion, and water and energy use in built environments; and
- The facilities-based projects will be complemented by $50.0 million for new supercomputing infrastructure to analyse and model information on climate change, earth systems and national water management.
This comprehensive package of marine and climate infrastructure initiatives is part of the Australian Government's $1.1 billion Super Science Initiative and will help to build a stronger higher education and innovation system for the 21st century.
Media contact: Catriona Jackson, Minister's Office, 0417 142 238