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STRATEGY FOR AUSTRALIA - A RESPONSE TO THE STOCKER REPORT
24 June 1997

The Academy of Science welcomes the report 'Priority Matters' just issued by the Chief Scientist, Professor John Stocker. It points directly to the importance of science and technology as cornerstones for future prosperity in this country.

The Academy's Science Policy Secretary, Professor John White, said "Australia must either use technological innovation to create new industries or accept lower living standards as other economies move ahead of us".

The report provides signposts for the way ahead by pointing out ways to improve Australia's priority-setting for science and technology.

The Academy welcomes the emphasis on diversity in the report. There is no simplistic merging of advice structures. At the highest level, the Prime Minister's Science and Engineering Council, ASTEC and the Coordinating Committee for Science and Technology have been brought together under the Chief Scientist and a cabinet committee is proposed for science and technology. The Academy recommends that this be a separate committee of cabinet with the Minister for Science and Technology as a member if not in Cabinet.

Diversity in departmental science and technology advisory structures is also retained, as are the separate missions of Government research agencies, CSIRO, ANSTO and AIMS.

We welcome the praise given to the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) scheme and endorse Professor Stocker's emphasis on the 'legitimate place for public good Centres such as the Antarctic Research Cooperative Research Centre'.

The report's clarity on the need to identify 'goals for science and technology' and 'an explicit industry policy' as key features of the national priority-setting process is an excellent first step. New policy-development structures based on Professor Stocker's proposals are needed urgently. These structures offer the opportunity for the Academies, the Institution of Engineers and FASTS to work on a coherent policy for science and industry - both are called for.

The gaps recognised in the report may be seen as opportunities for policy development. Some key examples are:

• Higher education policy (pages 44, 45 and 46). The serious need for concentrations of major research infrastructure is addressed and referred, with other concerns, to the West Committee's Review of higher education. The Academy believes that it is vital for the West Committee to take notice of this important analysis. The resolution of these problems is of the greatest importance for basic science's contribution to Australia's future.

• Environment and sustainable development. The economic and political necessity of a policy for sustainability in Australia is underlined and is the basis of a major recommendation.

• Marine science. Australia has taken on new responsibilities in this area. The Academy welcomes the emphasis on a need for much underlying research, as well as care in the collection and use of data. Professor Stocker recognises that research must not be limited to subjects with economic pay-offs, and research resources should not be cut because of 'efficiency gains'.

• International science and technology links. The Academy welcomes the two strong emphases made under this heading. First, Australia does not have a monopoly of ideas. The recent work of Bourke and Butler, and the Academy's analysis of the decline in the impact of Australian science publications, point to the need for strong international links and collaborations among researchers.

  Secondly, Stocker emphasises the need for coordination of Australia's access to major international facilities and the need for a better formal arrangement to treat this. The Academy supports the examination of existing arrangements, at present being undertaken by the Coordination Committee on Science and Technology (CCST). We also support the proposal of the CCST for a standing committee to deal with these matters.

The full text of the Stocker report, Priority matters, is at www.dest.gov.au/Archive/Science/chiefscientist/reports/Priority_Matters/